DÆMONICA Online
by telosgod
Summary: I thought that this was my salvation. It turned into my living hell. Dæmonica Online is my prison. The world of Purgatory our cell. I didn't want want happened to come to pass. Now I'm looked to as a hero. There's a PKer who's after me. And worst of all, he knows my past. With no one safe can Sol and his friends make it to the top and escape the game. AU. Based on SAO idea. Log-in!
1. phase 00

**Author's note–A bit nervous to do this, probably messed this whole thing up from start to finish but here I go, amateur attempt one. I'm a bit anxious at putting this out for people to read but it can only help me improve so all criticisms welcome. Er...next on the list...ah yes. Kinda feel like I have to do this to cover the bases.**

**Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction (obviously). Any characters or the world from the **_**Sword Art Online**_** series of light novels (manga, anime, video games) by Kawahara Reki (etc. for these other media) are created and owned by their respective owners and I claim no ownership over them or the Sword Art Online universe. This is a story meant for entertainment purposes not to be believed as part of the official story line. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. (I feel a bit dumb doing this.)**

**That asides I'd like to welcome you to Dæmonica.**

Phase 00 Login

Cold, that's what the intermediary state feels like. Its nothingness with an absence of heat. But soon your rushed to the first screen, INITIAL LOGIN. USER-name, Password, address for further verification (optional after initial login.) I went through the process patiently. Then I was in the tutorial, getting use to an avatar body and the basic actions of the game. I was using a neural interface to directly access the game. _**Dæmonica**_. Fight in a realm devised by the Demon god. Free yourself from his evil clutches, with divine protection and your own skill. The first sight of Purgatory, the new dimension, was a sky shot. It was huge, easily several tens of miles. That was just the base, it shrunk to a reasonable size as you looked above the stars to the next tier. At the top, the 100th tier world, was the demon king's palace. And beyond that was the Aster, paradise. The ultimate objective. Then after you did some sight seeing you were rocketed downward. Vertigo and the sensation of the wind against your skin met your perception. The real body in the real world would be asleep. The mind would dream, and the neural interface would be translating the bodies neural signals and digital data back and forth over a wireless connection. Then you landed, kneeling at first. I felt real gravity, real air, real everything. I stood. This world was reality now. Its all a game right? Exactly thirteen minutes later, all the players gathered in the center of the town, twenty thousand strong. We waited for the official start of Dæmonica. The creator of the interface, the game, the world, Gene Lockeless would appear and, metaphorically, do the ribbon cutting. When he did appear it surprised us all, at first it was just a red cloud. It condensed and became a reaper, a grim reaper.

"Welcome." We cheered.

But that ended quickly. "I apologize for tricking you all like this." He started.

Then several windows appeared. Each appropriate to our area.

"But as you can see you all fell into a horrible trap. This might be a game, but you are to live it, not to play it."

Then our entire world fell apart. NEURAL INTERFACE HIJACKING. Was the best title to describe what happened. Each and everyone of us was a hostage, the interface completely blocked the commands from our brains, except those necessary for life functions. We were in comas, across three continents and a handful more nations.

"Do not worry. All of you will be transported to one of five specially made facility for just this purpose. To keep you safe. All of you will be taken care of, the transferring will end in five more hours. Until then you'll remain here. As a warning, though." The black shape started to disperse.

"The interface can do so much more than interrupt and redirect bioelectric messages, it can send them back to the source or redouble the message, causing something similar to an overload." It was just his black hood now.

"The point being, you'll die. If the interface is removed, the power-source dies, loses connection to Dæmonica for more than seven hours, or is ordered to destroy you, it will destroy your mind. It will stop your heart and lungs, it will kill you, if you die in this world." Then the figure was gone, only a whisper of his voice remained.

"Though I fear four-hundred of you already had loved ones who killed you."

The sound of crashing and guttural screams reached my ears. Several people were dying, disappearing before my very eyes. Dying in front of me. After the first people died in this game, the screams continued, they stopped when those people collapsed or calmed about three hours later. As the fifth hour of waiting ended the specter was back.

"Congratulations, the last of you are touching down at your institutes in the US. The rest of you should have reconnected already or are experiencing lag. I'll release you to your adventure momentarily." Then I realized that he had us frozen.

We would have complained and attacked him, but he even had our lips shut. This was a scary power. "I wish this to be your adventure, not a generic avatar's." He swiped his hand and our data recompiled.

I winced and watched. Everyone changed. We looked like regular people, people you'd see as lawyers and other adults were a large part of the crowd. The ratio of men to women changed too. From equally half to maybe two in five. I looked down at myself.

IMPOSSIBLE!

I was like my real self. Lean, a bit on the tall side, my serious expression that seemed to always be plastered to me felt real.

"NO!" Several people yelled. "Welcome to Dæmonica. To my world of Purgatory. I will await you all at the Obsidian Blight Palace. May you fight bravely and your wills never dull."

Then the reaper, the new God, Damn Lockeless, rocketed upwards through the starry barriers in the sky to the top tier. Then we were able to move. Immediately the disbelief spread like a plague. People broke down and curled into the fetal position. Others sobbed to themselves, some had stoic expressions. They trembled and kept mumbling to themselves, "Not real."

I was terrified. My heart felt a deep pang of pain and guilt. I couldn't stand to watch them. I turned and ran, "NOO!" A woman screamed as I ran past.

I saw others follow my example, or rather I followed their example. Close to a thousand players, of the total twenty thousand, rushed through the gates to the fields of war. I saw skeletons ringing the city. Their name, Wretched. I drew the starting sword, my hand felt cumbersome with it now that it had changed from that of an adult to the fourteen year-old me. A Wretched raised its fist as the tip of the short-sword glowed.

"AHH!"

I drove the point home, at the exposed skeletal neck of it. Destroying it. I rushed past the line, as fighting broke out. This was the first of many battles. I looked back, I saw a man get knocked to the floor. I raised my sword, and I shouted, for my family. For my sister. For my life and all those that were trapped. I charged and slapped it with the flat of the blade, a stun motion for low level enemies. The skeleton tottered. The man's axe smashed its legs and the skeleton shattered on the ground, dead. I helped him up.

"Come on, we'll get slaughtered." We dashed past as the sheer number of skeletons increased. A wall of three stood in our way. I dashed forward. "AHH!" One edge of the sword glowed sea green, a complete semicircle slash destroyed the skeletons.

I was frozen for a moment, action pause. The guy I saved slung me over his shoulder and barreled through the five new monsters. His axe was highly effective against them. We made it to the forest a mile away, more players were around us, we had made it. We cleared the first challenge.

We sprawled out on the grass. "C-check!" Someone said.

I counted the heads around, I stopped short of three hundred after an immeasurable amount of time. I looked back at the starting city, a vast majority of players were still stuck back on the battlefield. Then we had a brief debate. Go back or Continue. Less than half of the people were for going back, I'll give you three guesses as to two of them. Me and the other guy I saved. We were outvoted and continued on. I looked over my shoulder once and saw a person get killed. I shuttered and turned away. The forest had several things in it. Several dangerous things with gnashing teeth set in demonic mouths.


	2. Phase 01

**Author's Note––So yeah I'm adding a full length chapter now. I was doubting getting the prologue up but now I'm posting this. Oh well. I've had a few ideas for what will happen next. I'm a bit excited to get it typed up and posted, but I'd like to get a few reviews first, see what I'm poor at doing. Anyway enjoy this chapter. Maybe you'll piece together what will happen before I can think it up. Now I have to go, someone awaits in Mythril.**

Phase 01 Impression

I looked down the cliff at the outcrop below. A proud Hercules Eagle stood in the nest, watching. I took out the dagger I had, it would have the best multiplier with a stealth attack. The tip glowed white, _skill ready_, I thought. I leapt off the cliff and aimed the dagger downwards. _Rivet_! The single thrust attack had an immobilization ailment with a twenty percent chance of occurrence. I stabbed the Eagle dead center of its back. The thing cawed loudly with its wings spread out. Then it froze, it grayed slightly and a few sparks flew around its head. Stun and immobilized. I hacked away at the large feet and rolled it over the edge of the nest. I saw it start flapping feet from the ground, but it shattered into coded data and disappeared. Satisfied that the threat was neutralized I turned back to the nest. Three gilded spheres were there. One of them was made of gold and the others were eggs. I tapped the three spheres and sent them to my inventory. I took out a flint and set fire to the nest. Then I slammed my foot down a few times and the outcropping rock cracked and broke off. The nest came down with me as we fell to the ground. The nest crumbled and fell apart as the fires ate it. At the last possible moment I grabbed a gem that was in a small slot at my belt. "Base." I crushed the stone and teleported. I reappeared in the center of a frontier town. Base. It was smack dab in the center of the first floor. Its been two weeks since the battle outside Starting city. Base was the main city of the first tier and was starting to get populated. We found the dungeon for the first boss. Mapping it out took a while. Now we had a general idea of where the enemy boss was. But two weeks had been hell. I was now level eight, among the highest levels so far. I switched my weapon to a one-handed short-sword. I felt the comfortable weight on my back.

"Yo! Sol!"

Sol, my username. Or rather, this me. The one trapped inside this god forsaken hell hole. Don't get me wrong, the place was an amazing cage. But a cage is still a cage. The beautiful rolling hills and strips of forests that made up the majority of this tier were nothing more than glorified bars and locks.

"Sid. Still alive."

The titanic african-american man with thick muscles and one of the first quest given items, a bearded axe. The thing had impressive stats but required a monstrous amount of the strength attribute to wield, effectively that is.

"Yeah brother. Have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

He sighed. "They found the boss. It took a while but they found the door, now they're going to send in a sortie to scout the boss's abilities." A scouting mission.

"How many players?" He told me, seven. Half the clearing group.

"Thanks man. I'll go have a look with them."

They usually held meetings at an open air theatre. It was a little distance away from Base. Just as I thought, the ragtag bunch of people, those who were the strongest of the surviving nineteen thousand people, had gathered here. In total they numbered around twelve.

"E–stone!" I called out.

A collegiate with long, girlishly, curly hair turned to me.

"Wattzup!" He said in his curious way.

We shook hands. "I heard your about to pop the top on a very nasty can of worms." He nods.

"Yes. The boss was found and we are gathering volunteers. I assume you want to join those guys?" I nod.

"Well...as a word of advice, the one with a dagger is a bit unstable. I sometimes think he's just as likely to stab you in the back as he would a monster." I blinked. "Got it."

He clapped my shoulders. "Seriously man, take care." I nod again.

"They enter the dungeon and start the penetration in four hours. I'll send them a message while you prepare." I nod for the umpteenth time.

Four hours was plenty of time. "I'll go wrap up a quest I have and load up for the scout run."

The Quest giver was an old lady inside one of the houses that ring the central plaza. I walked into her house and showed her the golden sphere. She looked surprised. "Thank you. Thank you so very much." I handed her the sphere and watched her hug it to her chest.

A small screen showed the Conclusion screen, I had finished the quest and received a decent amount of currency and experience. "Thank you. Now if you can do one last thing for me."

A quest flag popped up over her head. I debated whether or not I should take it. I accepted her quest after a few minutes. "I'm old and frail. My precious Alermony is forever young inside this prison," I sympathized, considering the game where I was trapped in.

"Please. Grant this old hag one last selfish wish." She took a deep breath.

"Free me, from these earthly chains." A cursor appeared over her as if she were an attack target.

The sphere she held close to her hummed out a silent melody. "I see."

I drew my sword and stabbed the NPC once, through the golden sphere and into her. "Thank––" She turned into a young woman for a moment. Her wrinkles disappeared and her eyes glimmered. "You." She shattered, into bits of data that was then scrubbed.

The shards of blue light melted into nothingness around me. _COMPLETE!_ The screen read. Another Quest wrapped up, a new item to add to my list. I checked the necklace, _Lovelace_. The item had an impossible bonus with weak stat boosts that made it quite useful. I swallowed hard as I equipped it. I read the special text at the bottom. _This unique necklace shows its true potential when given to someone close to the heart._ I ignored whatever it meant and continued on. The expression of peace that the NPC had made me wonder, were they really just programs that mimicked us, or had they gone a step beyond. I shook my head. This system would trick you. It will tap into a weakness, any weakness, and take you. I redoubled my pace and headed for the dungeon. A broken pillar in the distance marked it out. A boar blocked my path. I brought down my sword and watched it shatter. The enemy seemed easier than before. Maybe those slight boosts to all stats made a bit more of an impact on actual combat. I strolled through the wilds, kicking asides boars and item harvesting. I had a decent amount of healing draughts when I made it to the entrance of the dungeon. I suddenly felt a nasty..._killing intent_. I felt it concentrate on the back of my neck. I ducked and jumped back. A glittering knife flew overhead and I collided with the person. We rolled back for a few feet before separating. His face was hidden behind a mask, a special quest reward no doubt. It looked like a skull with the jaws hanging perpetually open to allow the person's mouth to move. The eyes were deep into the mask's darkness. Eyeing me for an opening.

"Oh. Its the supporter." He straightens and sheathes the knife.

I take a cautious step back. "Sorry about that kid. I get trigger happy pretty easily."

He extended his hand towards me. I shake it as I sheathe my blade, my suspicion of this person at an all time high. How does someone get trigger happy with a knife. Then I noticed his eyes, they looked as if they were twitching constantly. I shivered.

"I heard that you'll be doing an investigation––"

"A test run my boy. A test run. Call a jack a jack and a spade a spade. What we are going to do is risk our respective necks out for the cowards who won't come and test out the enemy with their own hands." I stayed silent.

He rubbed the smooth top of his helmet. "Well I'm a bit worried actually."

He eyed me up and down again. "You look a bit on the frail side boy. I know we're taking volunteers and all but we aren't jumping to our deaths without a chance of living."

I kind of expected this. I looked frail, true. But this was a game, the numbers in the system were what decided your power.

"Don't worry, I'll hold my own." He looked at me uncomfortable.

"Well you'll get our back. Cover me, I'm Eld." I frowned, was he seriously trying to patronize me?

I sighed inwardly. "Alright."

He lead me into the dungeon. "We're starting ahead of time, the others are taking their time getting here."

I saw two shadows approach, they both had player cursors over their heads. One was covered in a cloak, so I wasn't able to see him. The other wore heavy armor and a tower shield. The image of a tank.

"Klyle," He pronounced it as kyle with an L sound before the Y as well as after.

"Red." The cloaked figure made a small, almost imperceptibly movement. A nod.

"This is,"

"Sol."

"Sol. Let's go tear this boss a new one." The tank took up the cheer and I added a small "sure" to the mix while Red stayed quiet.

"Before we go, Link-Up."

Linking with a partner was meant for to add bonuses to combat and linking abilities with special attacks. I timidly sent Red one, he accepted, I think because he mostly had to. The dungeon was made with rough cut pillars of stones and uneven cobblestone passageways. Realistic. The enemies were something too, level five _Keepers_, ghosts to say the least. They were incredible frightening in groups, moaning and swinging around their chains to rattle. Red tensed next to me, in a second he was off into the fray, his weapon flashed brightly a handful of times and several Keepers died. Then one brought down its chain, letting it wrap around the lightning quick blade and holding him in place. He twitched as the Keeper howled in his face.

"Shift!" I heard, though his voice sounded peculiar.

I rushed forward and sliced through the Keeper's chain, letting Red cover my back as I took on the assault.

"That's it!" Eld yelled a few feet away, his knife crisscrossed the Keeper in front of him and killed it.

The Keeper I fought with was unnaturally hard to kill. Its health kept regenerating almost as fast as I could slash it. Finally I let light bead on my blade. A single slash, _Crescent_, destroyed it after landing a critical hit. They just kept coming.

"Kid, get behind me."

The tank barged right past me. His tower shield raised in front of him. I dashed behind him as he knocked down several Keepers. I finished them off as he drew his longsword to deal out additional damage. Once the Keepers were dealt with we did a once over. Our health was still in the green. Mine especially, the bar climbed up steadily as it replenished itself.

"So you are tougher than I thought." Eld pats my back.

Then we continue to go deeper into the dungeon. We fought off a few more waves of Keepers and skeletal warriors.

"Cover me!" I yelled over my shoulder as I charged the skeletons.

Apparently the skeletons are named Wretches, just like the first monsters outside the starting city. A Wretched stabbed at me. I parried the blow and sent the monster sprawling. Red leapt over me and stabbed into the downed enemy with a weapon I vaguely recognized. A foil, the beginner level weapon of the fencer category. A few weapons, such as rapiers and sabers, could be dually designated to the fencer category and their own specific category. So a rapier could go with the rapier style or the fencer style. A saber could fall under crescent blades style, fencer style, or regular swordsmen style. Fencer was one of the few styles that was this inclusive with weapons. But most single handed swords just fell under the swordsman style or the fencer style if they were special. Two handed swords had their own separate category of style. I ducked as a Keeper swung its chain at me. I stabbed upwards and used _Crescent_ afterwords to finish it.

"WHOA!" Klyle exclaimed as he was overwhelmed.

"Come on!" I called to Red.

I refuse to let anyone die if I can help it. I charged in recklessly and beat off the Wretches. Red pressed his back to mine as we were surrounded. Klyle teleported away as his health dropped into the critical red zone.

"WEAK!" Eld yelled as he chopped at the Keepers, keeping them occupied while the Wretches closed in.

"Can you take down two with one attack?" I asked Red.

"Yes." He said plainly as I picked up that peculiar voice of his. Now I had a doubt about Red.

"Alright. Take out two and keep me to your back. I'm probably going to do something stupid now."

I sheathed my sword and drew the knife at my hip. The advantages of knives was that they had really over powered special attacks. Often times dealing more damage than some great sword special attacks. Disadvantages, the limited reach which put you at more risk, their normal attack strength wasn't anything special, and the fact that they were dangerous to use if you don't have someone covering you. I felt the pressure of Red at my back disappear and I saw light come from behind me. I charged forward, the blade glowed sea-foam green. Two consecutive strike attack, _Breaker_. I lunged forward with a thrusting motion, my body controlled by the system. I stabbed through one Wretched and saw a brief light effect in the shape of a cone come from the blade that extended two meters in front of me. Cutting into two more. Then the next attack. The knife flew in my hand as I spun fully, the ribbon of light extended beyond the reach of the knife, a full three feet more. Thus catching the three adjacent Wretches that were about to strike at me. Then I was crouching, suffering from the action pause side effect after using a special attack. I effectively destroyed three of the seven Wretches in front of me. The other two were were severely weakened. Leaving two more that were relatively unharmed. Three Wretches were on me, readying different attack patterns. This was the main disadvantage of using a knife, the possibility of being overwhelmed after using a special attack. But light came from my side, a foil stabbed forward. It stabbed three times, finishing off the two Wretches that were weakened and stunning the third as it connected with its weapon.

"Thanks!"

I slash twice at weak points of the Wretched. Then I use _Rivet_ to immobilize the final one.

"Leave me some!" Eld yells as he uses _Rivet_ as well to finish it off.

We took a breather as we recovered from the fight.

"Is it me (huff) or were there to many of those guys." Eld sighed.

"I think Klyle, the idiot, attracted a bunch of those hordes when he kept charging clear through the ones we were fighting." I sighed.

Our health was borderline yellow, except Eld who was barely in the red. "Let's camp here for a moment."

We rested for thirty minutes, twenty more than we were suppose to. We fought off two more hordes, these were smaller than the big cumulative horde we fought earlier. Klyle came back and got scolded by Eld. After being delegated to the rearguard Eld let me and Red take the forward position. We left them behind as we scouted out further ahead. We took care of a few small hordes and basically left scraps for the two behind us. I returned to using the far safer swordsman style as I drew my sword. I crouched behind a column. A new type of enemy, _Wraith_, was ahead. I gladly had a higher hiding and seeking level thanks to the quest that rewarded me with the Lovelace necklace. That eagle had been hard to find and harder to sneak by. Red also had a surprising hiding level. The Wraith was a few levels over us. But it was alone. A good thing.

"Want to risk it?" Red nodded.

I now had a curious thought. I stepped out from behind the column and waited. "NOW!"

The Wraith started to turn towards us, but its back was still largely exposed. The giant white ghost moaned loudly as Red used a fencing skill that involved a combination of thrusts and slashes. The ghost was fully turned around when it brought down its humongous arm. I was already covering for Red though, I stabbed upwards, stopping the attack. I could see it had a slowed status now.

"I'll cover you. GET IT!"

Red recovered from his action pause and returned to attack the Wraith from all sides. Whenever the thing went to attack I would Shift with him. The Wraith took a surprising amount of time to beat. When we did I got a brief notification. It must have dropped something. Red was about to move on, he didn't seem to register any change. This was another thing about the game, when you obtained an item you have to check your menu to see what it was, so keeping it secret from partners was easier than when you do a quest. Sharing dropped loot depended on you, even though it belongs to you.

"Hey." Red turned to me.

"The Wraith dropped something."

I opened my menu and allowed him to see it. It was armor. _Leather chest guard_. It was categorized a bit higher than normal leather armor.

"Do you want it?" I ask as I hit the _next_ arrow.

The next item was a set of gloves. _Padded fists. _It seemed like a decent pair of gloves.

"Those." Upon hearing his voice I had my doubt again.

"Hmm...I've been wondering Red."

He looked at me, I think. The shadows made by the hood blocked me from seeing his face, plus the dungeon was dimly lit.

"Are you a girl?"

There was a pause of a few seconds before Red took off his hood. Er, her hood. She had golden-red hair and an innocent look in her golden eyes. And she was beautiful. I suddenly wanted to ask why would someone like her be doing in a dangerous place like this. But then I realized she probably didn't like getting patronized because of her gender anymore than I did getting patronized by my appearance. She pulled on the hood. I remembered what I was doing and opened the trade window.

"You said the gloves right?" I saw her hood move, a nod.

She accepted the trade and we continued. Eventually we took a sharp turn and found ourselves in front of a large door. It was two slabs of black metal with a rose motif. We then waited for Klyle and Eld to arrive. They ran up to us huffing and puffing.

"Slow...(wheeze)...slow down!" Klyle said in between gasps.

"Come on, this is it." Eld said while wiping some sweat off his brow.

He shoved us out of the way and pushed apart the doors. It was dark, until Eld stepped into the room. The walls, floor, and ceiling turned into multicolored lights of stained glass. It was a beautiful thing to see. But they revealed something horrific. Its name was _The_ _Mummified Banneret._ The thing looked like a giant knight with bits of armor missing on its upper arm, lower leg, and head. Where flesh was supposed to be there was only bandages and red eyes. We stopped. It was a level fifteen monster.

"What the devil." Eld said as he took a step back.

I didn't hesitate. I put on my newly acquired leather armor and did a double check on my equipment.

"This will get us killed but–" Eld charged in before Klyle could finish his sentence.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Eld leapt at the boss.

I watched in awe as the giant drew a two handed sword from its side. It glistened a sickly green color and then glowed.

"NO!" I yelled, and gladly, Eld tripped.

The air above him was cut by the _Ankle Breaker _two-handed sword special attack.

"For freedom!" Klyle yelled and joined Eld on the front lines.

Red and I had a bit more sense.

"Damn." I sent a rapid message requesting back up in the boss room.

"They're idiots!" I yelled as Eld stabbed into the thing's knees. He was kicked asides and I saw a full quarter of his health disappear. I felt a cold chill up and down my back.

"I got you covered." Red said as she caught up with me.

I nod and see it ready another _Ankle Breaker_. I tackle Red down as the two-hander roars inches from my head. I sit up and see it take a great step forward. I flinched as I expected the kick to connect. But I hear grunts instead. I open my eyes and see the tank pushing the foot back.

"Come on kid! Pick yourself up." I stand as I see his health halved.

I lunge forward and see something. It raised its sword again, another special attack. I didn't have any other choice. I used _Crescent_ to match the blow. The power of the boss was intense. I was awed, even this special was easily deflected by its attack. My health dropped by a third. The only good thing that came of this was that Red was able to get a strike in during the action pause of the enemy. She used the fencing special attack that she first used against the Wraith. The boss moaned before I saw its sword was swinging. Red recovered in time to duck.

"SHIFT!" She yelled and leapt back from a downward strike.

I took her place and slashed at its wrist. Eld backed me up and used _Rivet_ on its knee. I leapt back as the thing recovered. I risked a glance at its four health bars. I shouldn't have glanced. I might have hoped that our attacks had done something considerable. But instead barely a tenth of its first health bar was down.

"This will take forever." Eld said as he repeatedly stabbed into the boss's leg.

I rushed forward and stunned the boss, Eld retreated and I continued my attack on its legs. My health was regenerating rapidly as I continued my solo assault.

"SOL!" Red yelled. I glanced behind me and saw her. Then I looked up.

The sword came down at the exact same moment.

"GYAH!"

Dust rose around me as the sword scraped along the ground. My health was at a tenth of what it was full. Which meant I was dangerously close to dying. The boss was about to attack again when someone got its attention. Red helped me out of the crater and gave me a heal potion. I chugged the drink that reminded me of salt water. My health rose to forty percent.

"Thanks." I said as I stood up shakily.

She helps me up and then dashes towards the boss. I take a thirty second breather before rushing forward. We had taken away maybe half its health bar in thirty minutes. The reinforcements might be close.

"ELD!" I yelled as we rolled away from another powerful strike.

"I'll kick your ass for this later!" He smiled at me.

"Then let's get this thing down to nothing."

He used _Back Breaker_ and chipped a good fifth out of the boss's health bar. But a fifth of one bar isn't enough. I got a message, it opened in a corner of my vision. I read it quickly.

"GUYS!" They leapt away from the boss.

"Ten more minutes until the others arrive for support." Red nods, Klyle seems relieved, Eld has a complicated expression.

Then we return to the fight. We finally drop the first health bar into the red. Klyle is by my side.

"Watch for anything. They can switch up on you all of a sud––" I watched shocked.

Eld kicked him. Kicked him hard. Klyle skidded and stopped right in front of the boss. The boss roared, it bandages strained as the muscles underneath grew. Klyle looked up and raised his shield. I saw it too, the over head special. I also saw it connect, how sparks flew before Klyle's shield split and the blade buried into him. I watched his health deplete, completely. I was shocked. No, I was stunned. A knife came from my side, "W-what?"

Eld grinned at me and gave me a wink. The mummy came at me. I strained for a moment. In my hand I held a teleport stone.

"Ba–" Eld kicked me to the ground and the crystal skittered away.

"Naughty naughty." He said.

"Eld! What the Hell!?" Red yelled as the mummy closed in.

"Oh I'm just gauging the opponents power." I saw the boss get within range.

"B-bastard!" I yelled and slowly, slowly got onto my hands and knees.

The stun status was about done, Eld had moved to a safe distance, I would only have a handful of seconds. I recovered from the stun status and threw up my sword. A thrusting special, _Impale_. The word, the very name of the skill was the simplest description of it. The light at the tip of the blade collided with the stronger two-handed sword and there was a flash of light. We recoiled, the boss was stunned. In that instance several things happened. The reinforcements arrived, Eld cursed and lunged for me, and the monster bellowed. The one thing I failed to perceive was Red. She dashed between the boss's legs and parried Eld's strike. Then she shoved me out of the way as the boss readied another strike. Eld and her separated at the last moment as the sword came down. Eld rolled and grabbed my teleport crystal. He disappeared. I snarled, Sid at my side.

"Come on Sol." He helped me up as the boss roared again.

"Don't get within range, its downward swing killed a tank in one blow."

That rattled them. The fourteen clearers, including Sid and a new guy.

"Alright! Form up, surround it!" They had the most agile guys up and front.

The heavy tanks, three of them, were in position to stop any of the normal attacks.

"When it kicks it can reduce a guarding tank's health by half. But its left wide open!"

I started remembering all sorts of things about its attack pattern.

"It starts off its basic combo with a spread attack! Duck or block with a skill!"

A few front-liners leapt away. Red appeared at my side. Her foil ready.

"It roars to signal the strong attack!" I rushed forward as the thing lifted its sword from the floor.

"And its open for a few seconds!" I hacked away at its leg.

Red taking the other leg. As did the six other front-liners. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, we chipped away at its health. We got it to half of its second bar within ten minutes. Then it switched up its strategy. It roared and smashed its sword into the ground once. Sending us sprawling with moderate damage from the shockwave.

"WHAT!?" The sword had shattered, becoming smaller.

"Its using a one-hander now!" I yelled as I charged in first.

The thing roared and slammed its foot down, I rolled forward and cleared it. Turning I used _Crescent_ and then hacked away. I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I leapt to back to late. A giant hand clapped me on the side hard. I rolled for thirty feet. I glared at the thing, something bubbling up from within me. I then rushed it again. I ignored my health for a moment. I only wanted to delete that thing. Delete it? No. This was the new reality. I wanted to _KILL_ it!

"HAAA!" I jumped over a low sweep of the new blade and rolled right under it.

I attacked its ankles again. Relentlessly. My body sped up, time slowed down. _Faster!_ I put more weight into my swings. I used _Impale_ to skewer its knee. Then its unarmed hand came and knocked me away. I rolled near the reinforcements. My health dangerously red. I was about to charge in again until Sid stopped me.

"Enough." He said as the others charged.

Slowly I saw them break the second bar, then halved the third bar.

"HAHHHHHHH!"

I lunged forward and blocked the downward strike from it, the strongest attack its shown so far. My replenished health dropped a bit after our specials collided.

"GO!" The recoil stunned it for a handful of seconds.

I recovered first as the attackers had at it. With several people attacking at once its health dropped quickly. A red hood slipped in between players and delivered a blow that glowed bright orange. There was a loud impact sound and the boss roared from within its bandages. The last of its third health bar disappeared, leaving only a handful of dots. The thing beat its chest and stomped the ground. We retreated from it as its frenzy continued. But I didn't, I charged in. I dodged its first strike and ran along the length of its blade. Red rushed towards me. I stabbed the boss in its eye and destroyed its third health bar. Final one! We rushed in, disregard for its attacks which missed now as it howled in pain. I was relieved to see it fall, its sword discarded. It health was halved, then a third remained. Finally, another thirty minutes and it was at an eighth of its health. It flung out its arm and shoved us back. The bandages over its mouth fell away revealing the fangs. It roared once.

"COME ON!" E-stone yelled.

I joined his charged and we rushed the boss. But it switched its strategy again. It lunged forward, Red was closest. I shoved her out of the way, and it grabbed me instead. It lifted me up and stomped as it rammed me into a wall. The players were stunned on the ground as I was slowly squeezed.

"AHHHHHH!" The pain was to real.

My health was dropping steadily. My sword arm was pinned at my side, I was dead.

"GAHHHHHH!" The thing applied more pressure.

I saw players slowly recover. Slowly.

"ARGHHH!" The thing breathed out into my face.

I saw a lone red hood dash forward and begin attacking. The stun status had yet to fade but she was pushing herself to the breaking point and attacking. Then I realized I wasn't about to give up either.

"HAAAA!" I repeatedly slammed my fist into the boss's face.

"COME ON!" I yelled as my fist glowed, the special _Shatter._

Coincidentally Red also used a special and both our attacks combined to wipe out the last of its health thanks to our linked bonus.

"Sol...Sol." I woke up slowly.

The clearing group was resting around me. My health was slowly climbing through the yellow zone.

"..." I wasn't able to speak. I simple blinked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Ah..."

"What?" Sid and Red got closer to hear me.

I scrunched up my face.

"ACHOO!" I bolted upright as I sneezed.

My body hurt terrible after sneezing like that, sending pain up and down my body.

"It hurts to much for me to be dead." I said finally.

Then E-stone laughed. It spread. Then we cheered. "One down!"

Sid said proudly.

"Yeah." It was a start. In just two weeks we found the first boss on the largest tier of the game. It should take a lot less from now on.

"Yeah. We sure did." Then it was a small celebration.

Finally we were standing.

"So...what now?" I looked around, what now.

"I'd don't really know. Isn't there a door, or staircase? Something?"

Then I saw it. There was a blue crystal in the middle of the floor. I hadn't been paying much attention but I was sure that wasn't there before the fight.

"Maybe this is it." I kneeled down and touched the crystal.

It glowed and blinded us. I blinked away the light. A column was shooting from the crystal, like a teleporter.

"I see." I turned. "Let's go onto the next tier."

I stepped onto the crystal and teleported. The meadow of the next floor was full to the brim with flowers. I waded through them as I saw a small ruined dais. I touched it, an option appeared. _RESTORE?_ I looked over my shoulder as the others showed up. I hit the yes option. The dais glowed and became whole. That light washed over us all. Sending ripples over the landscape as it changed. The numerous flower petals in the wind blinded us and when we looked again we were in the middle of a town. I was standing in the center of the plaza, where players teleport to.

"Well that was fun." I take two steps from the center of town and slip. My head cracks hard against a pillar and I let myself pass out.

"..." The darkness was comforting. I was resting here, nestled in a place where no harm could get at me. But slowly the light came, ignoring my desires it showed me _that_ room again.

"Thomas." I turned to look at _him_.

"Its a really amazing place. I wish you'd get your own interface."

I cast my eyes down. "I hope so too Cooper. I hope so." He laughs.

"Don't worry, when that game comes out you and me will beat it. The ultimate team." I smile sadly.

He always was a dreamer. "Oh well, its that time. I'll see you later friend."

I blink at the harsh light.

"Wha–" A hand on my head.

"You are some kind of stupid." Red says before leaving me.

I sit up in bed. The inn room was dimming oh-so slightly as time past. I had a message appear in front of me. A friend request. I would have denied it. I should have denied it. It was the most logical choice. I only had one other person on my friend's list. Sid, I owed him that much and he called on my help every so often. I let my finger hover over the _NO_ button. I blinked a few times as a frail hand patted my own hand.

_Friend_.

I close my eyes and tap a button. When I open it again the notification that I had accepted her request appeared. I was going to regret this, not now, or soon, but eventually accepting friends was going to destroy me. I let myself fall back onto the pillow, my eyelids were heavy. So that's that.

The new town was called Ala. It was full of birds and an angel motif was on everything. It was a bright town, with a growing population. I sold my old equipment to replace them with higher grade stuff. Although I kept the leather chest guard. It was still higher level than most of the armor on sale. The field was a large flat plain, a few jungles could be seen out in the distance. This was a mostly peaceful level. That was a problem. Peaceful meant more contending for monsters to fight. I sigh and start to explore the area. I see a few parties running around, training or something. I walk for seven hours to get to a distant village. An old man had a quest icon above his head. I went over to talk to him. Long story short I found myself climbing up a tree some hours later.

"It'd be easy. Yeah right." The jungles were filled with several difficult monsters to beat.

I had become level eleven in that time. And it had better be worth it. While my health might have been full I felt tired. That was the thing about this game. You worked yourself and felt fatigue. You only feel refreshed after at least five hours of sleep. The same applied for hunger. Over time you felt hungry, so naturally you ate. It has nothing to do with your situation in the real world and it wasn't possible to die from lack of sleep and hunger. Supposedly. I finally reached the top of the tree and looked around. Jungle in every direction. I was suppose to find a spirit here, obtaining its power to help me go kill off something or another that threatened the village. I turned around and was face to beak with the mother of all buzzards.

"AHH!" I reeled and in an instant I was airborne.

Its talons gripped me tight as we soared around the jungle. I struggled and saw my health border the yellow. _Great Gatsby I'm going to die!_ I hadn't even finished that book. I struggled still as I saw a clearing of destroyed trees. The buzzard dropped me onto the clearing and landed a few yards behind me. I crawled, I'm not afraid to admit, into a hollow tree. The buzzard attacked the fallen tree with me in it. That thing was very strong and I doubt I would survive against it. I felt something, wet and cold against my neck. I swallowed dryly as I turned. The first thing I saw were legs and a white dress. There was a natural shelf along this side of the tree. A girl was there. And she was sobbing quietly. I backpedaled a little to give her some room. She kept crying as the buzzard made the tree creak. I swallowed and waited for five minutes. Then I took slowly spoke to her. She looked at me with teary, red eyes and hugged me. Being in this situation made me highly uncomfortable, then I saw something that wasn't suppose to be there. Leaves, the girl had leaves growing from her hair. I don't mean stuck in but growing from. I remember the quest.

"A-are you the spirit of the forest?" She nods into my shoulder as the tree cracks.

"The roc." She whispers in between sobs.

A rock? "W-what rock? Can it kill the big bird?"

The tree is lifted into the air and I feel gravity shift. I land on my back with the spirit on top of me.

"Its here, the Roc." A large crack in the tree trunk shows the light outside. Then a beak is forced between and the crack turns into a large hole. The buzzard is called _Roc_, I somehow recall something from the Arabian nights. As the giant beak stabs into me.

"Alright, Alright. Settle down now." **Second tier strategy meeting, three days after first floor clearing.**

"Now. from what the scouts have said the boss had a giant bird, called the Roc, guarding it. The Roc attacks with its beak and talons as the boss, _The Headhunter,_ uses a spear to attack for the first two health bars."

Looking around E-stone suddenly felt a bad feeling in his gut. Like a monster from the field, but those couldn't get into a town's safe zone. He shivered and continued.

"Mickey, take the tanks to draw its attentions. It had weak piercing power so a shield wall should stop its attack dead."

A heavily armored man nods. "After that, the third and final health bar has it switching styles. It'll break off the spear head and use it as a knife. We almost lost a few guys because it attacked so quickly."

E-stone heard something in the distance, he felt he was just imagining it. "But the boss is not the real issue. The Roc is. It nearly wiped out the first two teams."

A few of the clearers nodded, remembering the fight. "And when the boss is low on health the Roc will carry it away to the far end of the battlefield and guard it while the boss heals. That thing has a lot of range to it so we need to have a few agile guys distracting it. If we beat the boss the Roc will most likely die as well––"

He heard it then, a clear screech. The now nineteen clearers all stood and looked up. "What the hell. Its the Roc!"

They drew their weapons as the giant buzzard was above them. It screeched at them as it descended rapidly.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Someone yelled, E-stone thought it might have been himself.

But then they realized it, the Roc wasn't attacking, it was falling. It crashed a few meters away from the meeting. Its wings broken and its health almost completely gone. A comet of blue and black came from above. The jet engine sound made them cover their ears. The Roc arched its back and exploded into a mass of feathers. The black feathers mixed with the scrubbed data and polygons as the clearing group gawked. There was a single kneeling figure in the middle of the feathery storm. He stood and sighed. The feathers disappeared as he sheathed his sword. He opened his menu and equipped something. It was a coat. It went down past his knees and seemed to have been made with black feathers lining the interior of it. The hood and collar was lined with white feathers, that was it. He cracked his knuckles and said quiet loudly.

"The chicken is fried." He stood there, Sol.

Two meters outside the city's safety zone.

"What!"

Was the general reaction as a high level wooden monster known as the _Impachi_ rushed out of the woods. Its claw like hands raked along his flank, that would have been a devastating blow. Even a level sixteen tank would have lost an eighth of his health from a single hit like that. Sol cocked his head at the Impachi as his fist glowed. Then it was a blinding beam of light, flying through the air at least nine times. The Impachi shattered from the special. Which seemed highly improbable. A fight against an Impachi usually took twenty minutes of fierce fighting. He took it down with a single special.

After using the unarmed special _Phalanx_ I rubbed my sore shoulder. I noticed the clearing group.

"Sorry I was late. Damn bird kept me occupied." Fighting it over three days does that.

I felt tired, starved, but I was euphoric. I kept my expression composed and blank though. If not I would have been laughing like an idiot.

"SOL!" E-stone yelled.

"Just what in Hell did you do?" I had done a lot. Running. Hiding. Attacking. More running and hiding.

"What does it look like?"

"Looks like you took down the Tier boss's bloody turkey!" Boss's...Then the Roc was a boss servant.

"Huh. I should have expected that." I strode over towards them.

The Roc's coat wrapped around me. "Well you have some explaining to do––"

I opened my menu and hit a few buttons. E–stone received it. "What the hell?"

It was map information. "That's the location of the Roc nest. Its full of at least seven hatchlings. They pack about as much wallop as an Impachi but are much more weak health wise. They give a ship load of experience to boot." E–stone gawks.

"And they have a decent respawn rate. A perfect level grinding area." I pat him on the shoulder before I go sit on a stone bench.

"Wait." I was already asleep.

I came around half an hour later. Yawning I stand, the group was organizing for a grinding session.

"Yo!" I walk over to E–stone.

"Come on, tell us how you did it." I yawn.

"I haven't slept in three days, I haven't eaten in two. It took that long for me to do this quest. After getting stuck inside a hollow tree the Roc stabbed me with its beak." I wipe so sleep from my eyes.

"It nearly killed me as I bolted. I crawled over its feathery head and ran like there was no tomorrow. As far as I was concerned there wasn't going to be a tomorrow." I stretch a bit.

"Long story short I ended up at the Roc nest we a third of my health and no more healing draughts. Then I found I had a Health gem and survived the Hatchling mob. Barely. The Roc appears with an enraged buff. Its easier to avoid but hits harder. I grabbed onto its back and used it as a taxi."

I drew my sword and checked out all the nicks and cracks on it. "I spent two hours stabbing that thing's back. Its the only place that it can't reach, even then it nearly threw me off. I finally got its health low and you know the rest."

I flicked the edge of my weapon with my finger. A crack appeared and my blade broke off at the hilt. I stared dumbfounded at the broken weapon in my hand. An option appeared. _Discard/Store/Scrap_.

"Screw it." I hit the scrap button and the sword turns into two bars of metal that go into my inventory.

"I'm done." I walk away from the clearing group. Unarmed, tired, hungry, and disappointed.

"Wait. We need to organize a...To hell with it." E-stone calls to someone.

"Make sure he doesn't knock himself out again."

Ala's inn was relatively slow today. Not many people were here. I rented out another room and slept for at least five hours. Waking up I indulged in one of the few luxuries of the game, a hot bath. I rested in the bath, my head above water level. It took me a while before I finished my R&R. The city was darkening for the night time. Lights were turned on, fireplaces lit. The city looked impressive at night. Especially with a the bustle of players filling it now. I felt someone loop their arm with mine.

"You must be starved." Red says as she leads me over to a bench.

She doesn't know the half of it. I was tempted to eat some raw meat I had gathered from the first floor. Sitting on the bench Red stuffed a sandwich into my mouth. I nearly broke down and sobbed right there and then as I hungrily ate. I thanked her greatly.

"Don't mention it." She says as we look at Central plaza.

Slowly the colors and moving people blend and blur. I guess I needed more than a few hours of sleep for the three days I've lost. The last thing I saw was red cloth.

Meanwhile, in real life. A monitor was on across from him. Showing him leaning his head on Red's shoulder. He was blissfully asleep in both worlds now. His sister held his hand tight. Not to tight but enough.

"Come home. Please."

His monitors beeped a bit, showing a slight change. His I.V bag was still up to the brim since it was just recently switched.

"Just come home."

On his sister's phone she had made a shortcut to the new Dæmonica website, it had been repurposed to allow you to see your family members. To see them out in the fields. Fighting against the system, dying sometimes. But it was for a purpose. It was to show the outside world that these people were trying, they weren't just waiting, they were climbing back from Purgatory. This was the way to discourage people who might want to pull the plug on them. It worked so far. And there was even a special channel now, just for viewing special events and players. Sol was among them. The company was facing several suits but nothing definitive would shut down this channel. Especially because of the first boss battle. Don't you just love America. Freedom of speech and all that.

Another week past, a full seven days since the end of the first boss battle and we were arming for the second one. Arming, ironic. I was missing a sword. The dagger was fine and all but...it just wasn't a sword. I leaned against a pillar.

"The last scout party said that the Roc hasn't returned yet. This is our chance."

They were all around level eighteen at least now. Their armor had also been upgraded. "Alright. You okay there Sol?" I nod.

I partied with Red and Sid. We were fifteen clearers again. A few of the clearers stayed behind. To tired from the last scout run.

"Alright, tanks ready." The six guys raised their shields.

"Point group." Another six guys, that included E-stone, gave a cheer.

"Er. Miscellaneous." I sighed out loud.

We were here as back up. Sid was main damage dealer, Red and I were bait. "Okay. Ready."

We shake hands for a minute before pushing through the doors. Immediately the boss room became active, illuminated. I saw it, _Headhunter._ It looked like one of the hunter-gatherers from the history books. Instead of a human face it had a falcon head. It gave a screeching cry.

"ATTACK!"

The shield wall moved swiftly. Blocking the rapid spear. The point group flanked it and hacked away at its health.

"Well. This is slightly disappointing." Sid said as he slung his axe onto his shoulder.

"Yeah." The boss did a spread attack and knocked back a few clearers.

"Well lets give it hell." I was at the rear as we charged.

Being unarmed has its advantages. Being more agile for one. I leapt back as the spear was driven into the floor in front of me. I dashed forward and used _Phalanx_ on its leg. Taking out the last of the first health bar. In thirty minutes we took it down to the red of its final health bar. It was really vengeful now. It prioritized me over most of the others. Was it because I had taken down the first health bar, I killed its pet chicken, ahem, Roc? Or did I simple draw the short end of the stick here and become a target for it. In my lapse of concentration I slipped.

"Oops." I say on the way down.

I look up at the boss as the knife comes down. My hands glow as I slam them together. _Blade-Catch_, the guard type special. The glow dims slightly as the blade inches closer to my throat.

"Someone kill it!" It finally took three guys to chip its health away.

I lay sprawled out on the floor. Panting as my health climbed up from the yellow. Then the cheers came.

"Phew." I sat up and rubbed my head.

That wasn't nearly as bad as the first boss. But it still took a while to kill. I stretch a bit as I stand. E-stone was next to me. He clapped me hard on the back.

"Good show!"

He was the guy who landed the final hit on the boss. He held a longsword now. He seemed a bit clumsy with it.

"Look at it! Its amazing."

"Maybe you should learn the skill first."

He laughs and an odd look crosses his face.

"What?" He falls. Three daggers in his side.

I stare wide eyed, his health was still in the green and wasn't dropping either. I looked around.

"GAHHH!" Another clearer fell, paralyzed.

"What? Where?" I see it. By the door.

The familiar skull like helmet. "ELD!" I see a red hood fall to my right.

Then a numbness appears below my heart. I strain to move my head, to look at the knife sticking out of my chest. I totter, my paralyzes not as bad as the _severe_ paralyzes of the others. Eld takes his time weaving in between the downed clearers.

"Hello." He says to me as he steps on Sid's head. I feel horror and dread. I had pushed that image of him killing his comrade to the deepest corners of my memory. It came back now, I felt the blood drain from my face as he grabbed my throat and dragged me towards the teleporter.

The familiar field of flowers. The ruined dais. Eld sticking his knife in and out of my shoulder. I twitched and gritted my teeth as he looked at me. The madness radiated from his eyes.

"Do you know how hard it is to kill off someone?" He asks as he buries the knife into me.

"Its damn hard. Doing this _God's_ work." I wanted to kill him then.

"It takes planning. Sometimes. But I regularly find myself just stabbing them to death with the urge to die overpowering them."

He pulled the knife straight up and out of my shoulder. "But you...Your different. Whenever someone was facing something impossibly difficult while nearly dead they gave up. Your different. The Roc should have killed you. The hatchlings should have killed you. I should have killed you during that first boss fight."

My mouth was numb but I formed a few simple words. "Bastard...why...did...you.."

He kicked me hard. "Because I can. Do you honestly think if we die in this world we'd die in the real one."

I stayed quiet.

"See. I'm just doing a service. And if I can get a bit of satisfaction from it then so be it."

He was a psychopath. He was most definitely a murdering, insane player. I felt my fear rise in my throat.

"Ah, well that was fun. Time to send you onto the next world." He raised his dagger and it glowed bright orange.

My health was in the yellow. But if it was a dagger special, I might really die. "Good-bye."

E-stone's new longsword took off Eld's arm at the elbow. I stared in disbelief. Eld just howled as he leapt at the clearer. E-stone kicked him back and Eld took out a few throwing knives. I winced as I lunged at Eld. I shoved him back and grabbed onto something from his waist. A sword. I pull it free and see a small notification that I _stole_ it. The knives bury into me as I swing the sword. Its a poor quality one that would break against an Impachi, but it was more than enough for this. I swung it and knocked Eld down. His helmet was cracked and the sword broke off at the tip.

"Dammit!" He took out a teleport gem and escaped as the clearers surrounded us.

Then I just stood, rigid from the paralyzes I had been fighting hard just to move.

"Here." Someone tips an antidote into my mouth. In a moment the paralyzes passes and I'm on the ground.

"Damn. We need to get that bastard!"

E-stone activated the dais and helped me stand.

"How did you recover?" He showed me his gloves.

After opening the stat window he showed me how it contributed a fifteen percent increase to the recovery of ailments.

"Thank god I also had just drunk an antidote, the effects were just starting to wear off when I got paralyzed."

I slump a little bit. Quoting E-stone, "Damn. We need someone to get that bastard."

E-stone ordered two clearers to go off and spread the word. There was a criminal in Dæmonica. His name was Eld. As the NPCs spawned I let E-stone continue on his way. I limped to the nearby inn and fell into bed moments later. The eyes of a murderer stared at me in my dreamless sleep, I was sure of it.

**Tier 7 Mythril Land of stone and magic steel.**

Its been about three months now since the Eld incident at the second tier boss fight. We had made decent progress in advancing up to this point. I was doing a bit of treasure hunting. I had bought a new sword shortly after I woke up in the inn. It was called _Fellen Sabre._ It was my first time wielding a saber class weapon. They were faster than the short-swords, lighter than single handed long-swords, and dished out only a moderate amount of damage. It was a low level weapon, the seventh floor probably had several swords that were stronger but after the fifth boss fight I decided I'd keep it for a bit. I had been thinking of upgrading after the tenth floor. But that was still a ways away. But I had stumbled across someone after the sixth floor boss fight. A player blacksmith. The NPC blacksmiths had only the barest ability in that skill, this player was among a new class. After a quick conversation and exchange of Lire, I had finally figured out the name for currency, and some ores I had an upgraded sword. It changed after the tenth time I upgraded it. _Fellen __Zweihänder_. A sword that reminded me of a great-sword a few players had. Luckily for me I learned a new thing that day. Brands. A weapon brand precedes the name. Fellen weapons were meant to be wielded with one hand or as a one and a halfer. The _Zweihänder_ was modeled on the great sword of the same name but of a generic brand, a nameless brand, the Fellen sword was a long-sword. A one-and-a-halfer. I practiced a little two-handed swordsmanship by using the new sword. It was tricky to use as a two-hander for an extended period but for quick specials or sudden two-handed blows it was ideal.

I tapped a wall. It sounded oddly hollow. I used a two-handed skill, _Helm split._ It was a quick downward slash. The wall cracked and crumbled. Just an empty room. I continued into the dungeon. These hidden rooms spawned randomly and refilled every so often. I stopped at a junction. Four halls, I had come from one of them. I took a second to decide, and in that frozen second I heard it. The clinking of metal and the sounds of fighting. I heard crashing, a death sound effect. I ran hellbent towards this. The corridor was long and had broken walls every so often. But it was at the end that I found the source of the sounds. Little more than ten players were going head to head against Sub-bosses, _Vault-Keepers._ The stone statues had high health and attacks to match. The players were all in the yellow, some in the red.

"Reese! Cover the left!"

Reese.

A bulky shape charged to the left flank where a lot of weakened players were. I caught a glimpse of his face for a minute.

"Reese." I said again, not believing it.

A sub-boss raised its large arm.

"GET DOWN!" I yelled as I lunged forward.

The players looked at me as I rushed past, the Roc coat billowed in my rush. I used _Impale_ to stop the attack that would have been lethal to most of them.

"Get out, I'll cover you."

I used throwing knives to get the sub-bosses to follow me to the far end of the chamber. I saw several of them approach the doorway. One girl stayed to watch, she watched with wide-eyes. I backflipped away from a charging _Vault-Keeper._ It slammed into the wall and stunned itself. I climbed its back and stabbed repeatedly into the single eye on its forehead, a critical spot. It took ten minutes before a second sub-boss grabbed me and hurled me across the room. I hit the wall next to the door and watched my health go red. She was there, her boot a mere three feet away. She had four throwing knives in either hand, the weakest enemy lumbered forward. In a blur she threw the eight blades. They buried into the eye, sending the thing falling as I watched in awe. Its health had been yellow, almost red, now it was dispersing. Dead. Throwing knives rarely did damage, but she just took it down with eight of them.

"Come on." She helps me stand and we rush through the door.

"SHUT IT NOW!" Someone yells.

The heavy doors groan behind me and then shut. I huff and wheeze on the floor.

"Thanks." A voice to my left says.

"That was stupid." I say as I stand.

"You don't just go in all out when the door is heavily decorated." They blinked and shuffled their feet.

"You're to under leveled to be exploring this place."

"But the skull guy said that this was a perfect grind area." I looked at Reese.

"You mean a guy with a skull helmet?" He nods then blinks.

"That guy lied to you, for some reason or another he sent you up here and probably was watching you guys getting beaten."

"Thomas." I look to my left.

She realized it. "Its you isn't it Tom?"

I don't know how to respond. "Yeah."

Then there was a bombardment of disbelief.

"Wait Tom? As in Tom!"

"No way."

"WHAT?!"

I shuffled my feet embarrassed. These guys were all friends of mine, in the real world, from Pre-K through to before the game. I had slowly grown on them and they involved me more and more till we were friends. Right now they rushed me.

"TOM!" I smile shyly at them.

Then I realized they had an icon over their health bars. A guild icon.

_Don't do it._ Something in me warns.

_You'll just hurt._ I wanted to think it was right. I wanted to accept that...but...

"We've been looking for you since day one!" I can't help it. I go with them.


	3. phase 02

**A/N––Another chapter here. I'm thinking that my updates will become pretty erratic later but for now I'll try to get them up asap. Still hoping for some critique on how I write. But I guess no news is good news. I hope that someone can PM me about anything they'd like to see. After all we're on tier seven of a 100 tier campaign. Best wishes, with white feathers.**

Phase 02 The Alliance of White Wings.

We spent a good long time at a restaurant in Ala, the second floor. Having a nice long reunion. We talked about everything.

"I'm glad your safe."

Reese said as he slapped my back with enthusiasm.

"Man what would we tell your sister if..." There was a frozen silence filled only by the crowd and our eating.

"Is she here?" I dreaded the answer.

"No, thank god no. She was going to–"

"I remember now." I tell him.

It was a vague memory, from that other life. "I remember now."

I couldn't help but suppress the smile and tears that came to mind from that memory.

"Yeah." I take a long drink of the coffee, I think its coffee, beverage and slam the glass down.

Then its back to less serious topics. "Well its nice to see you all in one piece."

"Amen." They gave a small cheer before our second course arrived.

"So now that I'm thinking about it."

I looked at them all, the twelve of them. Reese, Jack, Mikayla, Shay, Shiloh, Sim, Burt, Mike, his brother John, Jason, Laura, and Jane. Jane was the one who recognized me first and who destroyed the sub-boss.

"When did you guys start this guild?" Jane gave a slight smile.

Reese laughs, "Well."

Jack starts. "It sorta happened when we found each other in the Starting city. We officially formed around the time the third boss was beaten."

That long ago. Guilds were a relatively new feature that appeared in one of the updates. I remember it now, the slight blur of everything, how enemies disappeared for a few minutes. The update took twenty minutes but it was a noticeable twenty minutes.

"So what name did you get stuck with?"

I had seen some ridicules names, the Savian Liberation Allegiance. The Draconian Order. So on and so on. Its hoped that eventually the guilds can be renamed.

"Well Jane here's the leader. She should be the one who tells you." Jane again.

Back in the real world she was on the cheerleading squad. Her black hair shined slightly when the light hit it. Her eyes looked...as if they'd swallow you. She could understand you, see right through your facade. I knew this to be true, her grey eyes were made for finding out your lies and secrets. She was the worst person you can have as an enemy, and the best person to have as a friend. I was a bit unnerved whenever I met her gaze. It was like she could read me, step by step.

"The Alliance of White Wings." Her voice was cold, as if she suppressed every last bit of emotion.

I didn't doubt that though, she was an incredible person. She was a natural leader.

"That's not to bad a name." I said shifting my gaze back to my food.

"Anyway, didn't you hear. The guy with the Skull mask is a criminal." Reese got a jab in the ribs.

"I kind of figured." Jack, who had jabbed Reese, said.

"When we ran into the four monsters there I thought we were goners."

"You might as well have been. If I wasn't treasure hunting you guys might have gotten wiped out." I saw more than one of them shiver.

"Yeah. But you weren't exactly in the best situation either." Jack reminded me.

"Yeah." Our silverware clinked against plates after a while.

"Phew." I said, reclining in my seat.

Then I was bombarded by requests.

"AH!" My vision was blocked by the sheer number.

They were all friend requests. All twelve of them.

"So we can stay in touch." Jane explained as she sent me hers.

I grumbled a little as I rapidly accepted them all, then I had to clear the notices or else I'd be blinded by the wall of messages.

"Give me some warning will you. I could have walked into a wall." They laughed at me.

I laughed to. It was just like the good old times. In the middle of it I got a message from Red, it was a voice recording actually. "Sol. We're meeting up at the usual place. Sid has a requests."

"Be there in a few." I sent her the response.

"Sorry. Got to fly." I dashed off in a hurry.

Sid got himself a house in Mythril. He turned it into a small café like place. Red and I used it as an unofficial meeting place. Sid had delegated himself as a merchant. He ran the shop and was a fair person to barter with. Or at least to me he was. He doesn't take so much a part in the clearing anymore but any of us front-liners can go there for a good deal or two. I got onto the dais and called out, "Mythril."

I teleported to the city on the seventh floor. It took me a moment to find Sid's house. It was two stories on the outskirts of town. A wooden cottage that could probably accommodate several people should the need arise, especially since it was two stories. The entire ground floor was dedicated to business, tables and a bar were set out and the man himself was there.

"Yo Sid, still alive." It had become a type of unofficial greeting between us.

"Yeah. Business just died down so your in luck." I sat at the bar and tapped the wooden surface.

A menu appeared. Sid leaned over and pointed out a few things.

"This ones a steal, that one is worth the price."

"A business man to the core." I remark as I choose one of his suggestions.

I wait to eat a meal before I ask about his request.

"Order up." He says and I gawk.

I just stare as _she_ puts the plate down in front of me. When I finally close my mouth I turn away.

"What's wrong?" She asks with a bit of menace in her voice.

I had rarely seen Red without her trademark cloak. Now she was dressed as a waitress, serving me food. I had to stifle my laughter as it threatened to bubble up from me. I take a throwing knife and quietly stab my own palm. That calms me down. I turn back to the bar and eat with my eyes concentrating on the things in front of me. The glass of water, my food, the whorls of the wooden bar. Anything but Red. I slowly finish my third lunch of the day. I felt a little sick, maybe I ate to much.

"How was it?" Sid asks further down the bar.

"It was good." I deposit some Lire onto the bar and slide it over to him.

"Keep the change." For letting me see Red like this he could keep the twenty percent.

"Anyway. What do you need me to do?" Red sat next to me as Sid told me what he needed.

"I refuse." I say rapidly.

"You can't. Little Red riding hood made the bet, your bound by honor to pay your half."

A little background on our little wager.

"Whoa!" Sid exclaimed.

"I know. What would you give me for it?" I was trying to sell Sid one of the eagle eggs.

The golden egg had occupied the bottom of my inventory ever since that quest from the first tier.

"You kidding me right? This is an SS–Class Ingredient! Do you know how rare this thing is?" I let him rant on and on about it for about ten minutes.

"Besides, who in the World can cook this high a level ingredient?" It was at that moment that Red jumped in.

"I know a girl." We stared dumbfounded.

"B-but that's nearly impossible. To cook a SS-class ingredient you'd need to nearly max out your cooking."

She nods. "Yeah, I know somebody like that."

Then there was a fierce twenty minutes of bartering. "WAIT!"

Red stopped us. "She might not do it."

We were crestfallen. This egg could make several servings of delicious omelets, or whatever it could be used to make. But then Sid got a brilliant idea.

"I propose," He started off.

"That you get her to cook this egg and you both get a free serving." My mouth watered.

Food, sleep, and a bath. The three luxuries of the game. Supposedly the higher your cooking level the better even simple food tasted.

"But," I would regret this, I would seriously regret this.

"If you can't. Well," What he asked of us was something I refused to do.

"Deal." Red jumped the gun on this.

"H-hold––"

"Alright its settled." They shook hands as I prayed that Red's friend wold cook the egg.

"Let's see what you can do in a week."

Now back to the present.

"Come out now." Sid said outside the door.

"Go to hell." I muttered quietly as I looked at myself in the mirror.

I took a deep breath before opening the door. "You look good. It was worth the twenty-five pieces of Lire and a spear."

Only that. These clothes were the highest grade stuff I've seen so far. They looked a lot like real world clothes.

"I'd never thought I'd see armor like this." Sid shakes his head.

"Its not armor. It just clothes. Uniforms if you want to get technical." I was surprised.

I had never seen regular clothes in this world. "Don't tell me you never realized this was available?"

Asides from clearing and treasure hunting I had very few hobbies in this world. I did like to explore and find perfect napping spots but that never really took me long. i was clueless, sue me.

"Your hopeless." Sid said as he pushed me downstairs.

"W-wait." I didn't want to go down like this.

While you might see me wear something like this in the real world, using it here in Purgatory made me feel...uncomfortable. "Sorry, rules of the bet."

We both stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"W-what." Red asked. Sid chuckled.

I wished I could go back up stairs. "Come on. Smile."

Sid shoved me forward. I stumbled a step or two and stood to one side of Red. "Come on now. You two are going to advertise for me."

He rubbed his hands together, I thought I saw the glint of Lire in his eyes. My imagination no doubt. I toyed with one of the buttons of the long sleeve shirt.

"Come on come on." He would later describe what he did as a friendly push. I'd describe it as more like shove.

Now Red, in a red dress looked down and away from me as she was nudged closer to me. "There, now if you just..."

We ended up holding hands.

"Now."

I took a step back as Sid's hands reach for my head.

"W-wait–" After a few eternal minutes and some quiet threats I have a pleasant smile on my face.

"Good good. Better. Sol, don't act so stiff." It took a long time before Sid deemed us presentable.

"Go. Go my little love-birds." I wanted to smack him hard for that.

We were told to go from tier to tier, discretely advertising for his shop. I felt a dozen sets of eyes bore into me as I walk down the street. Eventually we follow Sid's advice and go to a restaurant. He told me to be less stiff. I think that would be incredible hard.

Brief gossip from the Paper.

Yesterday something highly unlikely happened. Reportedly, a couple was seen in several restaurants, having a good time and comparing the food to that of a player run café on the Seventh tier world. Nothing surprising there...except that it was Red who was seen. The highly popular clearer stunned many by showing off her b––

The paper turned into polygons in Red's hands. I never realized how popular she'd become. From what Sid said she had many fans, even an official fan club. I stifled my laugh as he went onto explain how, according to him, her generosity and bravery made her highly popular. Something about saving a group of players from a strong horde by herself. Now, the idol, was shaking across the table from me. Because of her popularity if she does something that amazes her fans it goes straight into the Paper. She had a lot of fans.

"I'm glad I'm not well known." I receive a kick under the table.

On the bright side Sid has been busy for the past two days.

"Thank you guys." He says as he hurries by us.

"He seems happy." Red's knuckles crack.

"I should hope so. After all the rumors of the beloved Red––" I deserved the next kick I get.

She glares at me from the deep shadows of her cloak. Towards the evening Sid puts two platters down in front of us.

"What's this for?" I eat a little of the omelet.

"Consider it a thank you." I dropped my silverware and felt tears come from my eyes.

"So good." I agreed with Red.

"W-what is this?" I ask wiping a tear away.

"A Hercules omelet." I stare at him.

"You didn't." Red asks with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Your friend is a good chef. She sends her regards."

I see Red's shoulders move. Was she...laughing. I caught a glimpse of her face.

"C-ca-calm down. Calm down Red." She was most definitely not laughing.

"She says she had a great laugh." Sid leaves before Red decides to kill him.

Things seemed to be going great. I had found my friends from the real world. I was making friends in this one. Of course it can't last. But...it wasn't time yet. I'd be given some happiness before they came.

I got a message from the White Wings. "We're going to go through a dungeon. Want to tag along."

It was on the fifth tier. I wondered if they'd be alright. I decided that I'd ditch the strategy meeting and go with them for a bit. I sent E-stone a message with an excuse. I arrive at the dungeon and see no one around.

"Damn." I start to enter but a knife thuds next to my foot. I turn with my sword at the ready.

"Didn't expect you to come." Jane says as she approaches.

I feel something, not hostility per se. But I wanted to run.

"Where is everyone?" She shakes her head.

"Its just you and me Sol." I swallowed.

I called her by her username now. "Okay Diana, what's the matter. Where is the rest of your guild." She gets close to me, I tense up.

Then she walks past. "I think we should have a chat."

I hesitantly follow her into the dungeon. "What is this about?" She's quiet. Eerily quiet.

I see a horde ahead. "Cover me."

She sends me a Link invite. I accept as she charges into the horde. She throws knives faster than I can see. Several _Wendigo_, a gray, humanoid giant, lose a sixth of their health. I charge in and destroy the horde.

"Wait." Jane...Diana is already continuing deeper into the dungeon.

We take down several more hordes of Wendigoes and Wraiths, just like the one from the first tier. Finally the anticipation gets to me.

"What is it?" I stop as I loudly ask her.

She's a few meters away from me. "If you want to know,"

In a split second I'm on the ground with her on top of me. Her knife is against my throat. "I want to know why you didn't tell us about your career as a clearer."

I felt something cold pour into me. "Its not important."

The knife presses a bit into my neck. "Your an idiot. If the others realize that your a clearer they'll have a lot more respect for you." I blankly look at her.

"Don't you want that? They are still over protective of you. They forget that the old you stayed behind with your body. Probably still ho––" My anger flares and I wrestle her off me.

She punches me hard. I blink rapidly to clear my eyes and duck under another blow. I tackle her and pin her to a column.

"..." She looks into my eyes.

Her coldness spreads. "I don't want them to know. I just want things to stay as they've always been."

A corner of her mouth turns up. Then her head slams into mine and I reel. She kicks me down and stands over me. "You're hopeless." She tells me.

"They'd risk themselves because they think your weak and frail. I don't want to have a wipe out because they were being overprotective." I swallow.

"The guild is going to have a go at this dungeon in two days. Come or not we're going to challenge it." I sit up.

"What is it that you want from me?"

"I can understand why you want to keep everything as it was. I really do. But we've both changed here in this death land. What I want from you is to let the others see it. Let them know that they can count on you. That your strong." She pats my head as she heads for the exit.

I think for a while. A message appears. I open it and stand. "We're starting the boss fight in thirty minutes." That's all I needed to hear.

"About time." E-stone says as I arrive.

"Sorry." Is all I say before he tells me to go join the tanks.

"Cover their asses alright. The boss spawns minions like crazy." I nod as he opens the door.

The seventh boss looks like a woman and a bird. She is inside a gilded cage, asleep.

"_The Harpy Queen._"

I say her name and watch as the first seven clearers, all armed with long weapons like spears and pikes. They stab between the bars and wake the boss.

"NOW!" The spearmen fall back and the tanks I rush forward.

The cage shatters and the Harpy Queen dives at the shield wall. Her talons bounce off the armored surface and she falls somewhere behind us. E-stone lead a bunch of damage dealers, including Red, to take the attack. The boss lay stunned while half her health bar was destroyed. She screeched from the floor and several stone warriors appeared.

"Tanks!" I dash ahead of them and destroy a handful of enemies.

The shield wall forms up and they advance towards the boss as she recovers. Another screeching call and enemies formed behind the defensive line. I struggle and distract the Golems as the tanks take the brunt of the boss's blows. Its a tricky victory, we finish after two hours of hard fighting. I dedicated only two blows to the boss. The other clearers can take the credit for this victory. Its probably for the best. I wasn't in this fight. I was somewhere far away...

"Hey Tom." I looked at Cooper.

"Hey." He smiles at me.

"I got past the first tier." He was euphoric.

"That's great Cooper. But I've been wondering," He sits up straighter.

"Why don't you call them floors?" He blinks, then gives me his beaming smiles.

"Because a floor is to small for what Dæmonica is. A tier should be to small a word to describe it as well. I think they should call them worlds. Each world has a sky under it separating the world underneath from the one on top." He seemed to have put a lot of thought into this.

"Even when the worlds grow smaller to the point that you can think of them as tiers or floors," He cups his hands, as if he has something in them.

"They are so beautiful and unique that you can't help but think that its another world."

He pretends to throw what he has cupped in his hands. Outside, as if sensing this, a flock of birds fly by the window.

"And that is why they aren't called floors. Though the other name isn't better either." The clock on the wall chimes.

"Oh, its time again." The light outside becomes blinding.

"I hope we can talk in that world." He says before I wince from the light.

"Hey Sol." I was sitting, slouched slightly forward.

"Huh." Red and E-stone are behind me.

"You lagging or something?" I shrug my shoulders.

"Just had to think." Is all I tell them.

"Come on, they've activated the dais." I stand and join them.

I look back and see Cooper sitting, waving at me. I look forward and see E-stone use the teleporter. When I crane my head to look back, he's not there. I sigh._ I know Cooper. I'm just being difficult._ I step onto the teleporter and move onto the next tier...the next world.

"Alright. Deven, take the right." Reese nods as he realizes that his leader called him by his username.

"Zeke go with him. Silvia, Darius" Jack joins Reese while Mikayla and Shiloh stand straighter.

"I need you to the center."

Jane turns to the left, thinking. "Libra, Thanatos." Shay and Jason start moving.

"Good. Now Amethyst, Nico, cover the rear." Laura and Mike reluctantly take the rear of the formation.

"Ike and Zarroc, you two going to be damage dealers. Take point and be careful." John and Sim nod before spearheading the formation.

Jane looked over at the last tank. "Burrs...Burrs..." Burt sighed.

He drew the short stick this time. "Alright your going with the rear guard as well."

He perked up, no use crying over spilled milk and all that. Jane went over the formation in her mind. Tanks to the left, right, and rear. Partners provided for them. Point team made up of a damage dealer and supporting member. Center group ready to shore up any weakness. Jane glanced at the time in her menu. He's not coming. She took her place with the center group and was about to start moving out when she heard footfalls behind them.

"Wait up!" The carefully made formation broke apart to welcome their friend.

"Sol." Jane regarded him.

He stopped, before nodding once. "Can I be point?" Was all he asked.

After they seemed to reorganize, I joined Sim and John at the front. Or rather Zarroc and Ike at the front. It was a common courtesy not to call people by their real names. Its a painful reminder of what was taken from them.

"Okay. You sure there Tom?" Ike asks.

"I'm sure." We head off.

The hordes appearing a few minutes in. "I got it." Zarroc tries to rush at the first Wendigo when I cut him short.

I lunge forward and stun it. Then I use _Crescent_ to take it down to the red. He finishes it off. I take down the remaining two Wendigoes.

"That's impressive." Ike remarks as he rests his spear against his shoulder.

"Not really." I say as we continue.

I risk a glance at Jane in the center of the formation. She is expressionless. _Isn't this what you wanted?_ I want to blurt out. But as usual the things in my head stay there. We fight our way through the hordes to reach halfway through the maze in just two hours. Its definitely slower than what I could do in two hours. Buts it better. More relaxed. I can rely on these people.

"Alright...we should take the left turn to get there quicker. But its stuffed full of hordes." Jane, no, Diana says as she regards her map.

"Can we risk it?" Silvia asks.

I see her mull it over. "We can. You have two tanks covering the flanks. We won't be so easily overwhelmed that way." Diana nods.

"Well it just comes down to a vote."

"Rejected." Silvia says.

"We're going the short way." I didn't expect her to want to take the harder road after voicing her concern.

"Alright, that's settled."

Moving in a formation, however loose, means moving slow. We walked through the dungeon. But in this hall we dashed. There were several hordes. Almost to many. If I was alone I could have simple avoided most of them or picked them off in isolated areas. Moving as a guild doesn't have that flexibility. But it does give you the chance to completely destroy anything in your path. I tag-teamed a Wraith with Zarroc. It took a few seconds to destroy. We charged through the enemies and whatever came at us from the sides was pushed back long enough for the center group to have at it. The rear guard had their work cut out for them. Several hordes, with fewer monsters in them courtesy of the point team, were chasing after us. A rapier and and saber duo of Amethyst and Nico finished off whatever got to close. And what bypassed them met the tank Burrs. This was an ideal formation. It left very little openings, it maximized the use for individuals, and it prevented anyone from dying. Eventually, after thirty minutes of fighting we were able to clear the hall and reach a designated safe-room. The group collapsed, tired.

"Alright. Who's alive?" I didn't raise my hand.

"Sorry. Can't move my arm." I had a mild paralyze ailment.

"Gah. Get him a potion." Someone stuffed the bottle of antidote into my mouth.

The drink that tasted like lime juice cured my ailment. "Thank you. It was a bit to forceful but thank you."

Silvia took a step back and apologized. We took out healing draughts and continued into the dungeon. The hordes weren't so clumped together now. We took them down at a steady pace, one by one. I was sure I could have cleared the dungeon in no time compared to the guild. But I would rush through it. Missing the treasure and avoiding most of the enemies. We gathered quite a bit of Lire and some decent equipment to look at later. The atmosphere with the group was also different. It was lighter than the clearing group's. I found myself smiling more often. It surprised me that we enjoyed the dungeon clearing, even in this death game. Within the hour we're standing in front of a heavily decorated door. Its not to dissimilar to the tier boss's doors.

"Alright one last check before we go in." We drank some more potions and a few of the others did a few breathing exercises as we prepared to take on the dungeon boss.

"Okay, the boss is a spider monster. It attacks with its front legs, using rapid slashes." This felt oddly like a strategy meeting for the clearing group.

"I want the tanks to man the front lines. Then I want Amethyst, Silvia, and Libra to take the right flank. Its the side it least attacks." I guess if you prep for one boss fight you've prepped for them all.

"Sol, Nico, and Darius take the left. Be careful. It sometimes rushes to the left when it takes heavy damage." Then she looks at the spear users.

"Ike, Zeke, your attacking over the tanks. Stay behind them and duck when the thing screeches." Then Diana's expression softens.

"Take care of me alright. I'll probably be throwing stuff into it until I get knocked down." The planning done we entered the room.

The spider, _Damned Widow_, wasn't to strong. It only had two health bars and the fight in itself took maybe forty minutes. But at the end of it we cheered as if we cleared a tier. Maybe the guild setting wasn't all to bad.

"Now then." Thanatos...No, it was just us friends here. Jason, Reese, and Sim lift me up.

"Three cheers!"

"No, wait!" They tossed me into the air a half dozen times.

I lay sprawled under them all in the end, the cheers turned into a dog pile mess when they got to close together. Jane was on top of the pile. The king of a very lumpy hill.

"Idiots." She said smiling.

"Hey, give me a hand would you."

We returned to town enthusiastic about the successful fight and loot we collected. I separate from the others and hang back with Jane.

"So what are you guys aiming for?" I hadn't bothered to ask them at the beginning.

I assumed they were a treasure hunting guild. "What all players are aiming for. The 100th tier and the Obsidian Blight Palace."

I looked at her. "You guys want to join the clearing group?"

She nods. "Right now we're to under level and inexperienced. We do what we can for the clearing group. Sell them looted weapons at a cheap price, supporting them with some information about grinding areas on lower floors. You get the idea."

I always wondered where we get the info for new grinding places or item harvesting areas came from. "So its guilds like you guys that help us out a lot."

She just stays quiet. "They want you to join the guild."

She says as we approach the town. "Why don't they ask?"

"Because you'll second guess yourself." Jane says immediately.

"From what I've heard your one of the few solos on the front lines. Even for the boss fight you usually go lone wolf for part of it." I never really thought about it.

"And that's not what being in a guild is about. Especially in this game."

She was right. I knew she was right, about it all probably. "We're weaker than you now. You probably could have cleared the dungeon in a fraction of the time it took us. But does doing it solo like that really give you any peace of mind, or joy?"

I just stayed quiet.

The group decided to have a celebratory dinner. Before they could rush to a restaurant I stopped them.

"I know a good place." I shouldn't have done it.

It was probably for the best. But I took them to the seventh tier, to the shop run by one of my few new friends. Sid was about to call out to me when he noticed the others following close behind. He quietly whispered a handful of questions and I gave him rapid answers. When we sat down he personally came over and gave us all suggestions.

"Don't get the omelets. You'll go bankrupt." Is all I contribute.

Sid sighs as he goes back behind the bar.

"Anything new kid?" I open a brief trade window.

"Dinner's on me." I say as I put a few pieces of equipment for sale.

"Come on you don't have to do that Tom." Burt says next to me.

"I want to. Besides we're good friends. He'll cut me a deal." I thought I heard Sid sneeze as I said that.

The chef made all the orders in record time.

"Whoa!" Was the general response at the dishes in front of us.

"Dig in."

I see Burt grab a fork. "Amen to that brother."

The food tasted divine. We laughed. We joked. It was a good place to be. I noticed Sid smile a little as he glanced at me. At the end of the meal I got a special cheers for buying them the food and bringing them here.

"To Thomas. The best friend to have." That might have been a bit much but I appreciated Laura's thought.

After the clinking of glass we left Sid's place. "Alright wonder-boy, any cheap places to sleep?"

I pointed out one and we separated there. "If you need anything message us."

I nod and leave them to rent out rooms.

_Out of all my memories that night was one of my happiest. But it stings now. Because I realize they didn't deserve what they got. And I realize that those moments are never going to happen again._

I woke up in an inn on the eighth tier. I remember back to last night. I realize that I'll need to tell them the truth eventually. They'd be shocked and worry about my safety no doubt. I rubbed some sleep from my eyes as I opened my mail. Around twelve pieces of mail were flashing. I sigh then smile. It was all thank you's and good mornings. I replied to them all and then found a strange one. It was from E-stone. An assembly. This time we gathered inside a large stately house. There was a stage in front of us. E-stone addressed us from it.

"I am sorry to call you all so soon after our boss fight but I got some interesting news." He wasn't smiling.

"Eld has resurfaced among the lower tiers." There was some silent conversation at this.

We clearers had grown to maybe thirty-six players now. Those that weren't there when Eld attacked at the second boss fight were informed of him. "He now has accomplices."

The room turned into a mini-riot that was quickly calmed. "I know. I KNOW!" E-stone's yell got our attention.

After clearing his throat he continued. "Gladly there are a few guilds that are dealing with him. Trying to establish some order."

There were several sighs of relief. "But I'd still like to keep tabs on this. If things get out of hand we might need to go face him ourselves. Also to help these guilds that are fighting against player killers such as Eld we are going to be sharing information with them...so, uh...here is the person helping with the spread of information."

I recognized him as a clearer from the fifth boss fight. He had the beginnings of a mustache and a...mischievous look in his eyes. Other than that he looked like your average internet gamer.

"This is Gent. He'll be an information broker and is willing to run information down about grinding areas and item harvesting places. He represents a guild of brokers, _Argus_, who are gathering information for us." This was news to me.

I had just recently learned we had people contributing to us like information brokers and the like. "For a slight price." Gent added with a slight smile.

So it wasn't volunteer work. Well they should get rewarded for what they do. "This brings up a few new items to notify everyone about..."

E-stone steps down and another player takes the stand. Its Sid. "Hello everyone. Its nice to see everyone in one piece." I grin.

"As you know I left the clearing group to join the merchant class." I noticed an icon next to his name.

It looked like the Lire symbol. A circle with a line going through it, Φ. "And with much work and talking we have formed the first merchants guild. We are _Bazaar_." I smile at the name. Sounded funny.

"As representative of Bazaar I am hear to provide you with reasonable negotiations. We hope to also be able to provide financing for purchasing homes and guild houses in the near future." So they'd double as money lenders.

Well that's nice, I'm sure more than a few clearers have considered starting their own guilds. Having a base of operations would be ideal for them. Another player took the stage.

"H-hello." He didn't seem like the type of person to get nervous.

I got a sudden image of this person in a board meeting, wearing an expensive suit, haggling with six figures to make eight figures in profit.

His name was Al. After a brief coughing fit he addressed us. "I represent _The Dalian League_ of the lower tiers. We are assuring you to leave the lower levels to us. Criminals that steal and threaten players are starting to pop-up. And there is also the threat of Eld and his killing group."

His voice seemed to harden, as if he was back in familiar waters. Negotiating a point and selling it to the masses. "So far we are six guilds, around seventy strong, we are hunting down these criminals and trying to stop Eld."

Then he stood straighter, strength and pride radiated from him. "Trust us, we'll keep the peace."

With that yet another player took the stage. I nearly fell out of my seat. Jane. "I'm Diana." She started.

"I lead a treasure hunting guild, and I have been talking to a few dozen others who would like to see what we can trade to help the clearers. We aren't clearers ourselves but we do take on dungeons that you miss all together to advance the penetration."

With that she opened up a menu and a variety of armaments and armor appeared at her feet. "Consider this the beginning of a beautiful partnership..." She pulled on the hood of her cloak.

"Please." Her tone changed.

"Clear this game." With that there was a rallying cry.

Feet stomped and cheers started. The clearers are invigorated. The clearers are ready. For what? To wage war against the Death game. What better way to rally a male dominated group than having a cheerleader turned guild leader plead with them to win the game. I was certainly moved and wanted to go clear. Then there was a distribution of gear by her. She'd smile and shake hands as she handed out the gear. She skipped me entirely. When E-stone finally managed to calm us all down it was because the various representatives had left, meaning Jane had gone with them.

"Well." He said as he ran a hand through his girlish curls.

"That was something." Then he chuckled.

"Well there you have it. We can't give up now." There was general agreement with him.

Then he had to wait a moment for the voices to quiet down. "Right now, we have another issue at hand." He took out a small greenish cube of light.

"These have been circulated by the Press, the supposed news guild." He tapped the cube and a screen appeared.

I could see it. A fight. A boss fight. _The Mummified Banneret_ was wielding its great-sword as the clearers charged at its legs. "What." I said to break the silence.

"Exactly. We don't know who or how but they have videos of all our boss fights. I'm not sure what to make of this really. If we get wiped out and it circulates..." Then no one will want to fight.

"I'm not sure if we can stop them from doing this either. Pretty much every player gets a copy of the Press or buys these. And the info brokers are working with them, spreading information on useful quests or monsters. Its not that they themselves are wrong but...I want you all to know about this. In case you feel its better not to have our fights out there then we'll go and order the Press to stop."

There was a brief moment of silence. E-stone asked for our opinions and in the end it was decided to let the Press run on as it was. E-stone looked tired. Considering he had been leading the clearing since day one. He was tired. Now two other players took the stand. Each of them were highly respected members of the clearing group. E-stone, Mickey, and Set. Mickey took the hot spot now.

"For what we are here to ask is this." He opened a menu and hit a few buttons.

E-stone and Set did the same. There was a small sound effect and suddenly they had icons. Guild icons. "We are growing with each tier. Soon I doubt we'll be able to get organized for boss fights." I nod as Set explains things.

"So, we plan to do this." They opened a new menu.

"Registration for our guilds is open. Any who want to join, do so now." There were several hushed conversation.

I felt nervous. After a moment of deep thinking I decided to stay solo. Slowly all the clearers left to join the three guild masters. I only saw one red hood stay still as the registrations went on. When she did move I smiled and reclined. That's smart of her. Going solo probably had more disadvantages than joining a guild. But to my surprise she came and sat next to me.

"How about it?" She sent me a link request.

"Aren't you going to join them?" She gave me a knowing smile.

"I'm better off alone." I sighed.

"Yet our asking to link up." I accepted her request.

"Well I'll feel bad if you were to be the last guy picked."

"Ouch, that stings." She giggles.

The rest of the meeting was just the usually stay alive, share information, and good luck speech by E-stone.

"You should have joined." I tell Red as we walk away from the meeting.

"They each asked me personally, I declined. I want to see how far I can go alone." She gave me a look that said _aren't you the same?_

I sigh again. "Cheer up." She tells me as she gives me a sandwich.

I quickly become cheerful as I stuff myself. "Slow down, you'll choke."

"So good." I licked my lips.

She laughs. "You remind me of my hamster. You look cute stuffing your cheeks."

I blush slightly. Whether at the comparison to a hamster or for being called cute I don't really know. A new voice joins us.

"Now now. You can't just go and call a man cute, you'll hurt his pride." E-stone approached us.

"Sol." We shake hands.

"Guild master Stone." He grins at me.

"Yeah yeah. Its Guild master now. Show me some respect." I clapped him on the back hard.

"If your here to recruit me I'm sorry. I have to decline–––AHH!" My vision suddenly filled with messages.

"What the..." I quickly scanned them. I tsked. They were all one letter messages. I quickly pieced together the message. It went something like this.

H E Y , ?

I sighed as I closed them all. "Sorry about that. Friend was in a pickle but she's fine now." E-stone chuckles, probably at my sudden panicked yelp.

"Don't worry about. Anyway sorry to hear you declined."

"Yeah. But don't worry. If I ever join a clearing guild I'll give you an advance notice, see if you can bargain for me." He laughed.

"I know this is probably a bit over do but." He sent me a friend request.

I blinked once before accepting. "Damn it." I say.

"What now?" I sigh.

"With you that makes three people on my friends list. I definitely need to add more girls to that list." It was a blatant lie of course, but I'd have one good joke with E-stone before he had to start his guild life.

He grins at me. "But don't you have little Red here."

"Yeah but she rarely dresses in anything cute or acts like a–––" I double over as her fist meets my gut.

She huffed before walking away. E-stone laughed and we high five.

"Take care man." He goes to address his guild, a smile back on his face.

Red disbanded our link. I sent Jane a quick message.

"That was fun." She says behind me as I hit send.

"What the? Where–" She presses a finger to my lip.

"I just wanted to watch you get a little flustered is all." Why did I feel a certain menacing feeling come from her.

"Any way I just thought I'd let you know that the guild was very happy for what you did last night."

She probably knew they each had sent me messages. She didn't have to come talk to me after the meeting.

"They actually want to get you to join the guild. So I told them I'd approach you today." I swallowed.

Was she going to send me an invitation. "Don't worry. I'll give you a bit more time before I'll invite you to join my group. We take only elites you know." I smile.

"Sure." We went to a café and shared a drink.

"To the clearing of the seventh tier." She said, our mugs clinked.

I looked at her for a moment. There was something else she wasn't telling me. After the longest time of her staring down at her food as she ate she spoke. "Are you trying to see if you have X-ray vision or do you want to ask me something?"

I blush and look away. "You want something don't you?"

"We'll be taking on the four sub-bosses on tier seven in a week. Want to help?" I nod.

Then we walk for a bit. We head down to the Central Plaza and we head down to the fifth tier, _Ganymede_. The mostly hilly area of the fifth tier was rich and fertile. Several log cabins can be found in the forests to the south.

"Why are we here?" I ask her.

"Leveling up." We head to the field.

The horse sized dragons on the level didn't give much experience but where ideal for training skills. Together we beat three of them in record time. I was about to sheathe my sword when Diana lunged. She brought something down hard on my sword. I tensed and saw the _Zweihänder_, that had fatefully seen me through two boss fights, shatter. I stare dumbly at the hilt in my hands as it turns into scrubbed data. A feeling that I haven't felt in a while takes me. The stars above my head may well have been nonexistent. All I saw was red. I pinned her to the ground, my hands keeping her arms down.

"Why did you do that?" I was ready to attack.

All I could see was red, a single scene replayed over and over again. Another sword shattering, not the first but the second weapon to shatter in my hands. _Damn it! _Eld, when I had struck him. His sword shattered at the tip before becoming polygons. Then my head cooled and I saw Jane again. She just calmly looked me on the eyes. I realized how it might look so I got off her and kept my back to her.

"To prove a point." She told me.

Something metallic fell in front of me. I blinked. I reached forward and grabbed a leather wrapped hilt. I felt the pommel and cross guard. A rose motif similar to the one on boss doors was etched into the metal. The long sword I held seemed to suck in the dark and the light.

"That's the Black Rose." She pressed her back to mine.

I suddenly realized it. I hadn't been mad at her. I had been terrified. Since when did having a sword make me feel this safe and grounded. I hugged the blade and felt tears stream down my face.

"I'm sorry." I started.

Was I that afraid of being caught unarmed.

"I'm sorry."

Was I that pathetic that I'd snap if my weapon was broken. I swallowed hard as warm tears fell on the new blade.

"I'm sorry."

Or was I scared of something else entirely. I had had a sword with me when we were released at the starting city. I had a sword with me when Eld first tried to kill me. I killed the Roc with a sword that broke in my hands afterwords. A sword protected me when Eld attacked the second time.

"I'm sorry."

I was a sword.

I had only participated in one boss fight where I had been without one. And I think I'll never take part in another without a sword in my hands. Warm arms wrap around me.

"I know." She whispers.

She knows. I'm a sword. I was newly made and was being used in this death game. I'd get my nicks and dents. My cracks and breaks. But I would last. I wouldn't crumble away like these digital weapons. I'd bite deep into the system, dealing a lethal blow before I'd disappear. I don't remember how but I got back to an inn. My new sword safely in my inventory. As was most of my equipment. I had on only pajamas. I sighed as I sat up.

"Do you know how long its been?" I froze at the voice behind me.

I instantly thought of Eld. "Do you?" I slowly relaxed, it was just her.

"How long since what?" She sighs.

"Since the game started." I took a minute to remember.

"I think...four months now."

"That's right." She tells me.

I was about to turn around when I hand fell on the top of my head. She forced me to look forward.

"Don't."

There was a hidden death threat there, I was sure of it. After some menu sound effects and a small glimmer of light I was allowed to look at her. She sat on the second bed of the room. Her arms crossed, staring at me expectantly. I opened my menu and was about to reequip my armor when I looked at her. She admired a bird outside the window. I hurriedly reequiped my things. The reason being that for a handful of seconds you'd be in your underwear when completely changing your equipment. Only a few of the most daring male players would even consider changing like that in public. But if it was just switching out single pieces of gear then the lag was much less. So much so that the first blinding light effect wouldn't even be over before you had your new gear on. After a few silent moments I broke the icy quiet.

"Thank you." I stood and left.

I sent a message on the go and went to Sid's shop.

"Yo, still alive?" I smile and greet him.

"Yeah. I know." He serves me a drink free of charge, just one though.

He is a business man. His shop is closed for the moment. I sip at the coffee like beverage.

"You seem happy." I say to him.

He had been humming a small tune now, a happy expression on his face.

"Yeah." I sipped a little more.

"Something special happen?" He shook his head.

"No, I was just thinking about...the real world. So I'm putting on this happy face."

There was a petrified moment of silence. Nothing moved. Nothing at all.

"Sid." He comes around the bar and sits next to me.

A bottle of what can be described as liquor in his hands. "Did you know you can get drunk in the game."

I pushed away my half empty beverage as he put a shot glass in front of me. "Do you mind if I ask you about...the real world?"

It had been an unspoken rule. _Don't talk about it._

He nods and pours me some of the drink. It tasted oddly sweet. The alcohol burned my throat a bit, though.

"I ran a shop like this with my wife." He told me.

As one we drink our liquor. "We were both happy, you know. Just each other, everyday, for life."

He poured into our shot glasses.

"I think that that's why I had to buy this place."

So...the atmosphere he had made here in this shop. This warmth that seemed to permeate it, the silent joy. It was a real sensation that he mimicked from his real world shop.

"I just don't know man. Its been four months." I understood him.

"Come on, you'd better not break down on me right here at the starting line." I patted the strong man on the back.

Feeling slight tremors start in him. I turn and lean on the bar. "Sid. Look man I can't tell you how much you mean to us players."

I drain my glass and let him refill it. "Its just that you're our rock. Red's. Mine. Probably a few more clearers, and a dozen other players need this shop. They need you." I leave the shot glass alone.

"Don't worry Sid. We will beat this game. You will see your wife. And I _**will**_ personally stab Gene Lockeless in the ass to commemorate the occasion at the Obsidian Blight Palace." I thought I saw Sid's shoulders start to hitch.

"But you promise me something as well." The morning rush of people outside started to appear.

"That you'll keep your shop open for us when we come in here broken. That the fire will roar when winter comes. And that we will share a laugh when we are sad."

Unexpectedly the man-mountain next to me fell out of his seat. Laughing and holding his ribs.

"Huh." He calmed down after a few seconds, wiping away tears.

"You're alright kid. I have gotta be there when you meet Lockeless." I smile.

He seemed okay now. I reached for my glass.

"No more for you." He snatched it away.

"Come on. I'm not even drunk yet." He smiled as I whined.

Then it was the same quiet atmosphere from before. No one had entered yet. "You know I left people behind as well."

He washed dishes as he listened to me. I looked out a window and seemingly it was my past.

"My mother...my father...My sister. I left those people behind too."

Counting the first mouth it had been four months since that day in early January. It was mid April now.

"My sister should be getting out soon. Summer break and all that. I wonder if I messed up before logging in." That memory would haunt me, along with the nightmare of Eld, till the end of the game.

"You were close?"

"No...Not particularly. At least I wasn't close to her. But...I don't know about what she feels." I clenched my hand into a fist.

"This game is messed up. You just can't be happy in here." I turned back to the bar.

Sid concentrated on his task with the cups and plates. "I don't know about that. I saw a player walk in here with about a dozen or more friends. Laughing and telling them I'd cut them a deal on the meal." I smile a bit stiffly.

"Yeah. Friends from the outside. They're good people."

I can probably count on one hand how many times I'd done something worthy to them. But I'd need to borrow at least ten pairs of hands and feet to count the number of times they had done something incredible for me. Felt something catch in my throat.

"They are good friends."

I can probably guess why they first befriended me. It was my sad fact. The reason why I sometimes stayed awake and thought that this game was my blessing.

"Hey Sid."

I could feel that oppressive fact press on my mind. Could I tell another person. Not even the Alliance of White Wings knows it. But, this man who bared his heart to me, who told me his inner turmoil, could he listen to mine?

"In the re––"

The door slams open. "I'm here." Red said as she rushed in.

"Oh, about time." I force that darkness deep down into me.

Back under a hundred layers, to where it can't hurt me anymore. She huffs at me before warmly greeting Sid. I stand, a little woozy. Sid did say it was possible to get drunk in game. I shake my head and bow to Red.

"Sorry about before." She sighs.

"Don't mention it. So what was it you needed?" I swallowed dryly.

"I need help in clearing a dungeon."

"Treasure-hunting?"

"Something like that." Sid continued to whistle his tune.

"Its on this floor...Eld sent some players there to die."

The frozen silent threatened to break me. "We should notify the frontline guilds. Or the Dalian League."

"Or about a dozen other guilds and individuals. But I want to see why he would send people there. I can understand it if he sent them there to get killed, but they were more than a dozen of them. I'm thinking he was using them for something. Trying to get something."

Red nods. "Maybe he's just kill happy and wants to see how many will die before he gets to pick off the survivors."

"That too is a possibility." So it was agreed.

"In return for helping you," I felt a chill start the base of my neck and crawl downwards.

"I need your help finishing a quest." I still felt dread at her request.

Perhaps it was some kind of super embarrassing quest and she wanted me to do it in her place. Albeit rare, quests like that do occur from time to time. I heard once that a girl had to go through a certain forest on the sixth tier. She was assaulted, or rather molested, by various tentacles and left all gross and slimy. She shivered for days afterwards.

"Fine. Then let's hurry up and go." I left some Lire for Sid.

"Save me a drink next time." He waved at us as we left.

The dungeon was a few hours running distance from Mythril. It was a large cylinder, about a mile in diameter. It was towards the edge of the tier, right next to a wall of trees that ringed the tier. Beyond that you'd find about zero feet of solid earth under you with around a hundred percent chance of pure free fall to your doom awaiting you. The large cylinder was a bit awing to approach. It towered over everything. But because of its position on the tier most of its shadow was cast over the edge. The yawning entrance breathed out cold air.

"Alright. They're a lot of _Golem_ class enemies inside. Piercing attacks don't deal so much damage. Impact and blunt attacks are your safest bet."

"Does it look like I'm a mace user?" Red asked as she showed me her saber.

"No. But then again your fist packs quiet a wallop. I wouldn't be surprised if you could O.H.K.O them." She raised her fist.

"How about we test it out. Let's see if I can kill with one punch!" After a brief bout were I took blows to the rib we grew serious once again.

"Ready." She tells me.

I draw the Black Rose sword and we enter. The dark halls slowly grow brighter. "That's a nice sword." Red remarks.

"Thanks. Diana gave it to me."

It took me a moment to scan a map before deciding which direction to go. "Diana, isn't she the treasure hunting guild leader?"

"Yeah, you remember her. It was just yesterday." A horde awaited us.

They took some time to deal with. "Yeah. I remember." Red said after the fight.

"We talked afterwards. It took some time, but I was able to obtain this."

The sword was pretty, freaking amazing. Quoting E-stone. "Look at it! Its amazing!"

"Get over it." She grumbled something else but it was mostly to quiet to hear.

We ascended to the next floor. "So how about those recordings from the Press?"

Red shrugged. "Its not like I can get any more popular." She said a bit annoyed.

I remember her fame. I bow. "My humblest apologizes. I forgot I was in the presence of digital royalty."

"Stow it." She told me.

We continued on in silence. Its odd being in a place like this, mostly private. Dark. Alone. I decide to play a little trick on her. I secretly drop back and snuff out a flame. The path behind Red darkens. She doesn't notice. I do it a few more times before she realizes I've been quiet to long.

"Sol?" She turns to face the dark.

"Sol." She calls out.

My seeking skill had advanced to the point I could use night-vision. It didn't have that much range yet but it was effective. For six feet in front of me I could see as clear as day. I followed Red. I breathed out heavily. She turned.

"Come on this isn't funny." She walks in the dark and into a wall.

"Ow." She starts to stand when I let my sleeve brush past her neck. She jerks and stands. Her back to the wall.

"S-Sol." She gets her weapon out.

"C-come on, this isn't funny." I couldn't help it, her expression was just to adorable.

I slowly creeped behind her, i threw a pebble and let it bounce of her ankle. She turned and slashed. I was already circling around her.

"S-Sol!" She seemed to be on the brink of tears.

I decided I over did it and was about to call out to her when I was thrown to the ground.

"Sol!" My cries are muffled as something pins me down.

Its claws dig into me, illuminating the passageway with red damage light. I hear Red gasp. I can't pull the god damn thing off. Then the lights come back on and I see what's on top of me. Its a shape that's pure black terror. Its tongue licks up and down my neck. The beady eyes scan over me. A black lizard man is on me, slowly killing me. A glowing blade appears from its open mouth, the lizard, the _Creeper_ disappears. I gasp and cough.

"Oh God." My health was still green.

I lay on the ground a few seconds longer. Red has her back to me. I stand and look around once more.

"Don't do that...ever." She orders me.

"Y-yes." We continue forward.

I thought I heard her sniffle once or twice. I was a real jerk. Though it was quiet we weren't silent. "You there?" She'd call every ten steps.

I'd answer immediately. I hadn't encountered Creepers before in this dungeon. I hoped never to meet one again, or at least that close. Eventually I realized what had changed. The time.

"They must be an enemy type that appears at night." I said as I heard claws on stone behind me.

I continued to look behind me as I walked into Red.

"S-sor––" Directly in front of me I saw nothing but pitch black.

There was an occasional sputtering as a torch cast weak light for five feet. But the dark went on for meters, at least 250 feet. I gulped. Red held my hand, trembling slightly.

"Eh."

"So we don't get lost." She claimed.

I nod and take the first step. Looking only six feet in front of me I lead us through the dark. It was terrifying, especially since an occasional tail would cross the edge of my vision. Or heavy breathing would sound terrible close. I swallowed dryly and heard Red whimper more than once. I stopped maybe twelve feet from the lit corridor.

"What's the matter?" Red asked next to me.

"I'd rather not say."

A huge Creeper was standing to our left. It was standing at the edge of a torch so I could see its outline was maybe eight feet away, If it moved slower than us...One of us might get to the light. I made my decision. I tightened my hand around Red's.

"We won't have much time. I need you to run towards the lit corridor. Here, switch hands." Red now stood to my right.

She was trying desperately to remain calm.

"Okay...its moving away...steady...steady..." I inched us forward as the creature just stared straight.

"GO!" Red half dragged me as she ran to the safety of the light.

The creature hissed and lunged. That was definitely faster than us. In a heart beat I was on the ground, Red slid within a few feet of the light.

"Keep going." I order her as the Creeper tried to grab my throat.

My sword. That's right. It was just out of arms reach of me. If I could just let go of the beast...

"SOL!" Red called from the light.

She made it, good. Then the Creeper roared, I saw it bare its fangs. Then it dove at my neck.

"GAHHH!"

Red light was thrown across the corridor. My neck being mauled by the Creeper. I let go of its arm and reached over for my sword. Then the torches turned on and I could see several Creepers disappear. Except the one on top of my.

"AHHHH!" I yelled out as my health went yellow.

My fingers nudged my sword a few centimeters farther away from me. The shock finally settled in me. I was going to die. I was going to die. With my sword out of reach. The thing killing me rapidly. I was doomed. I gave up on my sword and tried to push the thing off me as its fangs took my health down fast. Then it stiffened and shattered. I blacked out soon after.

Something soft and warm pressed into my cheek. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling but it was something. It moved and pulsated ever slightly. There was one bit that–– I opened my eyes, Red was holding my head quiet close to that precarious region of her chest. After rolling away slightly Red toppled. Asleep. That was dangerous in a dungeon. My sword was back in its scabbard. I sighed with relief. I sat down with my back against the wall. Red was curled up next to me. I rubbed my cheek were it had been pressed against her. I blush for a minute before I hear Red.

"Stupid." I cover my head and repeatedly apologize.

Only to find out that she was still asleep. Her arm was stretched towards me. She tosses and turns a bit more than she should. Her hand grasps my sleeve. She nearly pulled me down on top of her. Gladly I fall slightly to the side. Still this is far more closer than I'd prefer. I need to get up before––

"H!" She hugged my head again.

Bring it close to her chest now. I squirm a bit and cause her to wake up.

"EH!" She looks down at where I''m sprawled out.

After she had let go of me. She crossed her arms defensively over her chest.

"You...You..." She wasn't about to congratulate me on surviving.

"IDIOT!" Her fist glowed as she punched down at me.

I covered my face as her fist collided. The dust that was thrown up showed that she had punched the stone floor. "Idiot." She said again with tears in her eyes.

I sat up and let her sob into my chest. I can only guess at how traumatic it must have been. Hearing a player getting killed in a most gruesome way as he screamed from the dark. Then seeing it as the lights come on. I shivered at my own imagination. When Red calmed down we couldn't get back to the exit without cross about a hundred yards of unlit corridors. We continued deeper into the dungeon and thankfully avoided several dark corridors.

Finally, we stood before a heavily decorated door. "Ready?" She nods and we push open the door.

As we step in the four sub-bosses appear. "This might be a problem." Red said behind me.

"They are just oversized Golems. Let them run into a wall to stun themselves and then climb them. The eye is weak to piercing damage. You have the best thrusting power so you'll have to do it. I'll cover you." There was only one problem.

"I just had to wear a skirt today." She said.

Then in a more menacing tone she told me, "If I catch you peeking I will PK you."

I swallowed. "O-Okay. Let's go."

She had the easiest part of this boss fight. I had to keep three huge, albeit slow, behemoths off her. It worked though. Before the Vault-Keeper could get her she had already destroyed both health bars. In twelve minutes she had singlehandedly destroyed a boss. I was reduced to the yellow of my health bar by the time she destroyed three of the four.

"Alright." I said as the last golem stunned itself.

We climbed it together and beat it in record time. A teleport crystal pad appeared. Taking us to the entrance once again.

"That wasn't what I expected." I tell her as we check over the loot.

I used the very valuable teleport gems to get us back to Mythril. I was to tired to run back. "Thank you." I tell her as we enter the inn.

"Don't mention it." I'm certain she doesn't want to remember what happened. That night I was so tired I just ran on autopilot. I bathed and dressed for sleep as if I was a machine. Not noticing my actions until I felt the pillow.

"Hey Cooper." We sit together. Cards in our hands.

"Yeah Thomas. I think I'm right."

"Right?" I take a sip of water.

"That she likes you." I choke and spend a good two minutes coughing.

"Breathe." He tells me.

"I know I know." After a while I calm down.

"Don't just say stupid things like that all of a sudden." He smiles as I blush.

"Come on. I told you I think she likes you. Just embrace it." I gave him a blank stare.

"Give it a whirl. Its what every guy needs. A girl." Cooper touches the interface near him.

"Have they said anything about you?" I shake my head.

"Oh...that's to bad." I lose as he plays the royal straight flush he had.

"So close."

"Yeah right. In your dreams." We laugh at that.

"But you might be right about that whole girl talk there. I think, my senior by one year, that you should get yourself one." He cracks a grin.

"Come on, no one can contain me. I'm a god amongst men." We laugh a bit more.

"Its that time already. I was just about to get you to lose for the sixth time in a row." I grin at him.

"I'll make you eat those words next time." He smiles at me. But I can see him mouth the words.

_If there is a next time._


	4. Phase 03

**A/N––I introduce you to some new condemned. Read on to see how they are important to Sol's life. To the clearing. But most importantly to Eld. Phase 04 will be a very important chapter that will lead to several things towards the next few chapter. This is the introduction, of sorts. Also I need help coming up with names. For players, people, tiers, bosses, and skills. SAO claimed to have thousands of skills and weapons, and I won't let Dæmonica fall to far behind. I want to see how much my story can measure up so contribute to the cause in the reviews. And ahead of time thanks to all that add to the name list.**

**Disclaimer––I do not own SAO or any of its media.**

Phase 03 Truth

I meet up with Red at Sid's shop. "So should we recap?" She nods.

"From what I saw there wasn't anything particular about that place. Except..." I shivered when I remembered the Creepers.

"Anyway, how about the loot. Was their anything that could attract Eld's interest?" After checking with Sid on what we obtained from the dungeon we determined that there were a few interesting pieces.

"But nothing to extraordinary." I sigh.

"Then you were right. He's just kill happy by now." I stand and bow to her.

"Thank you for your help." I give her a modest half of what I got from the dungeon.

"So what now?" Red says as I move to leave.

"I might know a person who spoke with Eld. But if he is still alive I'll try and find that murderer."

"Well not today." I saw Red smile from under her hood.

Oh yeah, it was my turn to pay her pack. "Er...mercy." I say as I raise up my hands.

"Oh don't worry. You'll survive." I gulp.

We're back to the eighth tier. The clearing guilds are all out today. "They found a new grinding area. But since there are so many of us I doubt many people will level up."

Ever since the fifth floor good grinding areas have become scarce. But then again resources were meant to be scarce in a game like this. So far no one died yet, the bosses are at a consistent difficulty. Even if they are higher level than us we can overwhelm them with tactics and sheer numbers. Speaking of which I had been stuck at level twenty-three for the longest time. We walk for a while among prairie ground. Among the occasional bushes I saw a single NPC girl.

"This is the quest giver." Red accepted the quest and added me on as a participant.

I received the notification. A cooking quest. "Huh." I rarely heard of one of these before.

"W-wait!" I reread the description.

"You have to be joking!" It was too much, to embarrassing.

"Oh stow it. You're the only guy I can trust to with this quest." After some sub-audible grumbling we returned to Sid's shop.

"So how did it go?" He said with a familiar smile.

"We need to borrow your kitchen and rooms."

"EHH!" After a brief explanation and bartering we were allowed to use his home as much as we want.

We went to the kitchen first, the mysterious chef eluded me still. Must be her day off or something. "Alright I have more than enough ingredients here, all that's left is..."

I turned away as she switched out her gear for clothes. I did the same and we got busy. After three hours we had a finished product. It looked like a succulent turkey, perfect coloring and with a side of some alien looking plants.

"H-here." Red fed me, per the Quest givers request.

It didn't taste to bad. The meat was a bit to–– I dashed out of the shop and found a bush that had dense foliage. After throwing myself in I released the contents of my stomach. A slight poison status on me health bar.

"Sol!" Sid called from his doorway. I took out an antidote potion, thankful for its lime juice taste.

I swished it around my mouth a couple of times before ingesting. By the time I had gotten back into the kitchen Red had already disposed of the turkey from Hell.

"No good?" She asked all innocent like.

"No good." I answered calmly upon seeing her expression.

Two attempts later I had suffered everything from the most retched tasting salad to being poisoned and paralyzed. Finally I snatched the ladle from Red's hands.

"Give me that."

"H-hey you need to at least have the cooking skill––" I looked at her with something burning in my eyes.

"Give me five days and I swear to you that I will have the most delicious tasting food you've ever tasted." With that I shoved her out of the kitchen and closed all the doors.

"Sid, I'm commandeering your shop for a while."

"HUH!" I slammed the door shut.

After reading the cooking skills description I realized I had an abundant amount of ingredients from my various misadventures. I started off with the most basic dish, sliced vegetables. After succeeding in that, partially due to my skill level with the dagger, I moved on to the next thing. Over the next four hours I roasted pheasant meat, grilled lizard tails, and flambéed a mysterious tongue, mostly all at once. The notification of me raising the level on the cooking skill kept me up all night and well into the morning. This was different than cooking in real life, where if you were good you were good. In the game you got good and rapidly progressed. I didn't eat anything I didn't cook. I nibbled on some cheese at some point and got stumped when I had to wait for my soufflé to finish. That gave me several hours of nothing to do. I got fed up and went onto step two of this horrible quest. The sewing skill. I sent Sid running to buy me an abundant amount of thread when I shoved several fistfuls of Lire into his greedy palms. I sat down in a chair near the oven and slowly began knitting, crocheting and a lot of other stuff that involved needle work. The sound of this skill leveling up coincided with the timer of the soufflé. I took out the dish and rapidly continued working at it. Food started to pile up around the kitchen and my inventory so I handed it off to Sid. God knows what he did with it. Towards the night of the second day I was busy making some gloves as I had the oven stuffed with various cuts of meat.

"Ow...damn it...ow...damn it..." I had a rhythm going as the needle jabbed my thumb every twenty-five seconds.

I opened the door at some point and threw the various articles of armor and clothing at Sid. "Get me more yarn." I ordered before I slammed the door again.

The date changed as I took out the various cuts of meats and I continued to make increasingly difficult dishes until the eve of the final day. The last dish was a kicker. I had to cook an S-class ingredient. I smile as I look in my inventory. One of the first things I see is Queen Spider meat. I briefly recalled my adventure with the others into that dungeon on the fifth tier. The black twitching mound looked unappetizing as I went on preparing it.

Sid walked in with a mass of yarn. "Here you––" He covered his mouth as he saw the twitching mound.

"Unless you want to join it get out!" He leapt out the door as I slammed it behind him.

There were two recipes at my disposal for this sickening thing. I had enough to make both. Multitasking, the ultimate high schoolers ability. I sauté one portion of the meat and let the rest sit in a vat of boiling oil for a while. I got so busy with my needle work I barely realized how many times my thumb was jabbed. I looked at my health bar and saw my health had dropped an eighth. I looked at the needle as it glowed. It had just recently jabbed my thumb with it. Although a little creeped out that it might be possible to hurt yourself severely with a sewing needle in game I went to attend my dishes. Both looked unappetizingly black. I finished the shirt and went to check on them when both blackened masses shook violently. The pots and pans clinked together as both masses of blackness leapt out of their respective pots. The blackened masses sprouted legs, four of them, and stood. A name appeared over them. _Widow's revenge_. I shook slightly.

"What the hell happened––" Sid and Red barged in.

Red drew her weapon as Sid fumbled with his menu. I kicked them out of my kitchen.

"Its not done cooking." I say with my best cheshire cat smile.

The violent tremors and screeching that came from Sid's kitchen made someone send for a clearing guild. E-stone and his bunch appeared as Sid stared at the kitchen door.

"Excuse me." He said as he kicked in the door.

"GET BACK IN THAT POT!" After more struggling was heard the guild master was sent flying from the kitchen.

Slowly, as the hours ticked by the door opened. A slightly disheveled Sol stepped out. He held a large platter with a delectable looking steak. Then he went back into the kitchen and brought out a large pot. People had timidly started eating the steak.

"This is freaking AMAZING!" Someone yelled.

Briefly forgetting the terror of the past three hours. Sol set down the pot as people gathered around. But a large screeching spider shoved its forelegs out of pot and splashed about.

"GAHHHHHH!" People yelled and fell back.

Sol just calmly slammed the lid on the thing. He whistled a tune as he stepped into the kitchen. The kitchen door wouldn't close as he slammed it with his foot.

"HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO DIE IN BOILING OIL!?" A brave clearer approached the door and shut it.

He was congratulated as the bravest man so far. After a few hours a tired Sol stepped out of the kitchen. An open pot steaming as the smell wafted through out the shop. He set down the pot and a few people timidly took a step back. Sol drew his weapon and stabbed once into the stew. Nothing.

"Its clear." I said as I served a helping.

I cornered Red before she could leave.

"N––" I forced the spoon into her mouth and watched her swallow.

After a brief moment when she had a blank expression she took the bowl from my hands. I stepped back and laughed. A bit maniacally. Then with an item I obtained through sewing I approached Red.

"What––" The measuring tape flew and gathered information.

"Hmm..." I took out my needle and some thread.

"Average height. Color favored, red. Lean body. Measurements––" Her fist shut me up as I hurriedly sewed something up.

With the last stitch the mass of red cloth takes shape.

"Wow." Sid whispered at the elegant dress I made in front of their eyes.

"My lady in Red." I presented the dress to Red by unceremoniously throwing it at her.

I dust my hands and pick myself off the floor. "I'll be using that room now Sid." I got half way up the stairs before I passed out, exhausted.

The next day I woke with a start. I quickly checked on both skills and found them maxed out. "What the hell..." Sid knocked before entering.

"Oh, its been about ten hours. Mr. Chef." I shiver a little, remembering last night I timidly ask, "How's your kitchen?" He lets out a long sigh.

"Its still there, spent a greater half of the night cleaning it up." I look down.

"Don't worry. You maxed out your skills right?" I nod.

"Then you can make me a nice fancy set of clothes. A tuxedo or something." With a few menu selections I had the tape measure in hand.

"What color?" After a few heartbeats I had a white tuxedo ready for the man.

"Impressive." He said checking it out.

"Meh." I respond, my shoulders are sore.

"So...how much of what happened did you guys see?" I saw terror flash before his eyes.

"A guy claimed he saw you dunking the spider into boiling oil."

"Oh, then you guys didn't see the worst of it." I shivered a bit.

"Worse?"

I nod. "Worse." We left it at that.

Red was waiting downstairs. "Well look who woke up." I greet her.

"Sorry about last night. I was a bit sleep deprived." She nods.

"Yeah, I kind of figured." Then she opened a trade window. It was ingredients.

"Now then." Back to the kitchen.

In a single hour I had a juicy turkey ready. The salad was tossed and had a small vial of dressing at the ready. "Well?" I say as I feed Red.

She smiles in such a cute way that I'm stunned. Stunned. "Its so good." I see tears gather in her eyes.

"Now then, on to step two." I see Red swallow as I smile at her.

"W-wait. Y-you're the one that's suppose to wear it." I shake my head.

"One is suppose to feed the other, the one who didn't feed gets to wear it." I take out the measuring tape.

"WAIT!" In moments I have the info needed to make her a stunning light blue dress. She frowns as she leaves to change. In a while she comes out, flowers braided in her hair, sunlight shining through the window to make her shine. I was awe struck. But I hid it behind an impassive mask.

"Now then, on to the quest giver." The NPC was still amongst the bushes on tier eight. We walk to her. "Oh. Its you two." She dusts off her hands from where she was working a flower bed.

"This place was once a startlingly beautiful meadow. But as you can see its not so anymore. Time in this place has wiped its beauty clean. I find it hard to believe this is the same place." Then she looks at us.

"Did you do what I ask?" Red nods before turning in the request.

The NPC smiles and holds something in her hands, light. It expands outwards and envelops us. We stand in a field of flowers. The NPC no where to be seen. "I am the embodiment of the fields." I turned and didn't see the NPC, though her voice was nearby.

"I was astounded to see you humans care for each other so much. Especially since you destroyed my body." I turned and saw a broken dais. A clearer went up to it and the white wall that escaped it paved over the flowers. Then it was only white.

"But I can forgive you all. For helping me find peace I'll lend you something. A special power that the Demon Lord can't shut away from this world." I thought I heard the word _hope_ some time after that but the word that was whispered into my ears shook me. We sat up in a field of blossoming flowers.

"Huh." I say. Red agrees.

Then the completion notification appears and we get a great big load of Lire.

"...Maybe this quest was worth it." I tell Red.

"Maybe." We part ways when we get back to town.

"See you." She says to me.

And I can't help it, I do what Cooper did. As I step onto the dais I see that she's still watching me. I mouth the words, the ones that Cooper used to haunt me. "_If there is a next time._" Then I teleport away.

A few moments later I join the guild for their dungeon clearing. "Don't go in there when its turning into night." Is all I whisper to Diana as I join my friends.

We gather at the entrance. "Alright. Thanatos you and...Sol will spearhead us."

There was a brief uproar that she calmed down with ease. "Are you okay with this?" She asked me.

"I'm fine with it." She then went on to assign positions to the rest of them.

"Libra, Silvia, and Zeke will be the center group, back up the point team." They nod.

"We need tanks on either side. Deven, Burrs." They nod.

"Alright. Nico, Amethyst and Darius I want you guys to be scouting ahead of us. Don't fight if you don't have to but find treasure if you can." A separate team ahead of us will save us time.

But it increased the risk. "Zarroc, Ike, your with me at the rear." They join her side and we let the scouting party go in first.

We enter twelve minutes later. Diana checks to make sure the scouts are okay.

"They'll be two Golem hordes ahead of us. Point group be careful." I continue ahead.

_**Some Time later**_

"Wait!" Diana calls from behind us.

"What is–" The corridor behind us is black. I swallow hard.

"Call them back. Call them back now!" Diana doesn't question my tone as she rapidly composes a message.

After several minutes I grow impatient. "I'm going to meet up with them. Don't get trapped in the dark."

"Wait." Thanatos calls to me but I'm already running.

I run for maybe thirty minutes. I saw the three of them hurrying towards me. "Come on!"

I yell to them as I see a horde following them. "Damn it."

I leapt past them and finish off the three Golems. "What's going on?" Amethyst asked me.

"Trouble, big trouble." We make good speed.

I see that the corridor is lit again and we are just a few minutes away. Deven started waving at us when I felt a cold premonition.

"Just keep running!" I look to the torches set high into the walls.

A dark shape leaked out of the wall and snuffed it out. Within seconds the corridor was pitch black. I could hear several Creepers approach. And there were no doubt several ahead.

"Use a charging special!" I tell them.

Three bars of light appear to either side of me and I join them. I see Nico and Darius clear the darkness. I leap from it with them.

"Where is she?" They looked around, confused."Where's Laura?!"

I hear an ear splitting scream.

I turn and see a small red damage light. "What––"

Before Darius can ask I'm leaping into the dark. I see several Creepers gathering. Making a thick wall in front of me. The Black Rose glows in my hand.

"Out of my way!" It glows continuously as I chain together single strike specials.

The shattering sound effect fills my ears as I barge into the horde. I see Laura, her health red, on the ground sobbing to herself. A large Creeper over her. I stab it and then use _Shatter_ to kill it. After a point five second action pause I throw her over my shoulder and charge back towards the light. Claws reach out and rake across my flank.

"AH!" I exclaim but continue forward.

I hear them, they're behind me. I put everything I can into one last desperate leap. I throw Laura and Deven catches her. I flop to the ground, just a foot away from the dark. I look up, relieved expressions quickly turn into despair. I feel it. I crane my neck a little and see the dark claw dig deep into my leg. Then a Creeper shoots out of the dark and lands on top of me. It buries its fangs deep into my shoulder.

"!" I was deathly silent, I reach out to them as the Creepers drags me back into the dark.

My finger tips clears the light when I'm flipped over onto my back. The Creeper that had been clinging onto my shoulder bit into my neck. My health had been green when I dragged Laura out of the dark. I was in the red and falling fast. I closed my eyes. This is it. But I opened them when I heard someone strain, I felt a hand tighten around mine.

"COME ON!" Diana yelled.

I vaguely saw Burrs and Ike help drag her out of the dark by her waist. And out from the dark she dragged me along with her. Now that I think about it I shouldn't have picked Sol as a name. It means the sun in latin. I was just that as I was dragged out of the darkness. My throat was a bright red sun. The black lizard on top of me pinned my head down with one of its thick hands. I saw the fear in their eyes. The shock of it. Look at me, I am the sun. I will scorch the truth into your eyes. Watch me die. Jane had other ideas about that. She stabbed the Creeper in the eye and then through the neck. The already weakened Creeper was destroyed in a flash of light. Jane dragged me away from the dark and cradled my head in her lap. I was just there, my body frozen. My breathing erratic. She pushed a healing draught into my mouth and I drank mechanically. The salty beverage went down easy. My health recovered to the yellow, though a mysterious ailment was flashing. I tried to sit up, it couldn't be.

"Don't look." She warned.

I did anyway. I looked. Past my waist, to my right foot. Then to where my left foot should have been. My left leg was gone up until the knee. The dismembered ailment. That's what the broken line inside a flashing red box meant. I blacked out in Jane's arms.

"...ol...S..." It was to early to wake up.

"Sol!"

"Give him some room, he's coming to." I blink rapidly at dim light.

"W...what..." I'm propped up against a wall.

Then its back to me in a flash. I cover my mouth with my hand as I think I'm about to be sick.

"Easy there." Jane said, calm, cool, a perfect image of tranquility.

Her steady gaze freezes me. I wiggle my toes, then I close my eyes and feel my right leg...then the left.

I open my eyes, "Its there alright." Burrs said off to my right.

I let out a relieved sigh. After a few moments of quiet thinking I let out another sigh. The formation is gone. We're camped in the dungeon. A wall of darkness on either side. After several concerned moments I stand. I push away a few of the guys as I stand alone.

"How is she?" Amethyst, or rather Laura is across from me, hugging her knees. Deven, Darius, and Silvia are huddled around her.

"She's mortified." Diana told me.

I walk the short four meter distance from one wall to the next. They give me some room to talk to her. I can only hear sobs come from the rapier user. I kneel in front of her.

"Hey." She just sobs.

"Hey, I'm alive." She looks at me.

This game makes it difficult to hide emotions. It takes what you want to do and transmits it to your avatar. So you will cry if you feel like crying. Whether out of fear, joy, or sadness. She wraps her arms around me and sobs into my shoulder. We last five minutes like that before she's somewhat better. She's lead away by Burrs and Deven.

"How long was I out?" Ike shrugged.

"Twenty minutes, maybe."

"I see." I turn to the nearest wall of darkness.

My hand is at the hilt of my sword.

"What the Hell man?" Jane, in a rare moment when her cold mask falls apart, asks me.

"What does it look like?" I take a few steps to the dark wall before she smacks the back of my head hard.

I stumble. "You just about got killed in there! Now your going back!"

I calmly look at her. She's angry, concerned, confused too. "I don't think you understand, they made Laura cry."

She grabs the front of my shirt. "What type of bullshit excuse is that? Are you trying to be the shining white knight here? Live god damn it!"

I keep my cool. "I don't think you've noticed but I was scared too."

I push her away. I was trembling. "And that is why I have to go."

She was shocked. She's not the only one who can play emotionless. "This is Dæmonica. Purgatory. The Death Game. And being afraid leads to being another number on the dead list." I draw my sword.

"Because this game puts our lives at risk we shouldn't hide and run from our fears." I'm a foot away from the dark wall.

"If you live with fear on your shoulder all you'll have in the end is death." I lunge forward into the dark.

In here, right now, I wasn't scared. Amethyst wasn't trapped by an innumerable amount of monsters. It was just me. Me and my vengeance. My six foot sight range becomes a no-go zone for Creepers. I see a tail come near and it'll get slaughtered. One of them knocks my sword back into the light. I grab it by the thick neck and hurl it into the light. Its stunned as it flops onto its back. I leapt from the shadows, landing on top of it. One of its claws flashes at me, but I catch and pin it down. With my free hand I snap its head sharply to one side. It dissolves under me. I stand, not bothering to grab my sword, and draw my dagger. I can see it now, the various colored eyes of the waiting Creepers. There must have been around seven of them. I run towards them. I duck under the first one as it lunges at me. I stick my dagger into it as it flies over my head. Stupid thing cut itself open. The next two assault me from the side. I grab one by its tail and mercilessly stab into its back. A critical spot being below one of its spines. The shattering of it dying illuminates the dark for a moment. I can see them. One above me, three to my left. Two no doubt behind me. I use _Shatter_ on the one above me, sending it skittering away. Then I use the trustworthy special _Breaker_. Lunging forward I stabbed into a Creeper, the cone of light stabbing into one of the two behind it. They recover quickly and crawl over their companion to lunge at me. But the wide range second strike obliterates them. I spin as the ribbon of light circles around me. The action pause afterwards is filled with the sounds of crashing. Only three left. One of the Creepers hacks at my wrist. My dagger clatters to the ground. I grimace before kicking it back. I can hear them, off to my left. Another behind me...on the wall? The third was flanking me and crawling to my right. I calm my breathing, and close my eyes. The one behind me, slightly above my head, leaps. I turn and in a single fluid motion and catch it around the neck. The force of it suddenly getting stopped damages us both. But I don't pay much attention to that. The one originally to my left lunges. I open my eyes and see a claw go for my face. With my free hand I knock the blow high and then elbow the things neck. My elbow glowed slightly with the stun attack I delivered. The thing was frozen two feet away from me, its head snapped back in an awkward position as sparks flew from it. The third one lunged at me now that my attention was elsewhere. I smile, the action pause ended as its outstretched claw is a mere foot away. I lean my head back, from past attack patterns its aiming for the neck or head. I was right. A black scaly claw barely misses a few centimeters away from my left eye. The Creeper I had been choking with one hand struggles fiercely now. The stun status on the other won't last much longer. All my ducks are in a row now. I push back the one I'd been holding and trap its arm. Then I flip its arm to where its palm is facing upwards. I bring my fist as hard as I can straight up from under its elbow. Normally this would destroy the elbow on a normal person, the bone would be sticking out or something along those lines. But it caused an additional damage boost here in this world, along with an incapacitation ailment for everything elbow down on that limb. The Creeper howled in my face. Spittle flew from its gaping mouth. I then tugged hard on its rag-doll arm, and sent it careening into the semi-stunned one. They rolled for four feet. Just enough room. I lean back and let myself start to fall. The air in front of my nose is filled by a dark maw as the one I had avoided was biting at me. I catch myself and place my glowing palm against its tough chest hide. _Palm_ _Strike_. A sound effect like a 50 cal. bullet being fired from a rifle resounds as the Creeper is shattered. Then the remaining Creepers pull a new one on me. They tag-team me. The first one lunges at me with its claws, I lean out of the way and see the second one dashing by, ready to attack me. They alternate and switch, setting me up and executing attacks. It was tough work, if my evasion wasn't as high as it was I would have been cut to ribbons by now. But in one single moment I saw it. My opening. After one uses the other as a spring board to lunge at me they are both frozen for three seconds. I see one growl to the other, the single so to speak. I ready myself. One crouches low to the ground and in a second the other one is leaping from its back. I see its beady eyes train on me, or more specifically my right shoulder. I turn as it flies in midair. It falls inches from my face and rolls for a good three meters. A small cut on my cheek from one of its claws. Nothing major. I dash towards the one that was used as a springboard and make my hand as flat as a blade. It glows. The system propels me forward and leaves me some liberty on the aiming. My hand pierces the Creeper right between the eyes. Unarmed special _Razor_. The Creeper dies in front of me. The various sparkling pieces of its data and the polygons from its body disappear. I look down where my feet nudge something. _Perfect_. I see the other Creeper dash towards me. Its recovered from the brief pause effect. I stomp my foot hard on the hilt of my dagger. With careful timing I catch the spinning weapon in the air next to my shoulder. The Creeper readies its claws. I take a measured step back and let it slash open air. Then I place the dagger's blade against its head. I was holding the weapon back handed, the tip pointing downwards. The forward moment of the Creeper propels it onto the blade. I'm tensed as the blade bites into the scaly head.

"AHHHHH!" In one fluid motion I cancel the Creepers forward motion by pulling my blade upwards.

That resulted in the Creeper's head being cleaved down the middle. It fell back now, flopping onto the floor. I watched it spontaneously shatter as I sheathe my blade. I lurch with each step, tired. I make it to my weapon, the Black Rose. I smile and pick it up. Sheathing it as well, I feel myself loose balance.

"Easy there wonder boy." Diana tells me.

She's steadying me. Her voice even and emotionless. Its her leader mode, huh. "I'm fine." I tell her, though I can't help but lean on her.

In the next ten minutes they have a hushed discussion. A very serious discussion. Its about whether they should continue the dungeon or not. In the end the decided to clear it. Though there are some grumbles here and there. I take point again, this time I have Nico, Zarroc, and Amethyst. The others are covering our flanks or rear, we're in a roughly circular formation with Diana in the middle.

"Keep an eye on the torches, if something like a Creeper appears from the wall then we form up." Gladly the danger was always behind us.

The number of Golem hordes had decreased greatly. True to the treasure hunting guild they were they found several hidden rooms. Looting was rampant. As we approached the boss chamber we held a small meeting.

"Alright, unlike last time we're prepared. I need––" I interrupted her.

"May I make a suggestion that won't put you guys in much more danger." Diana knew I'd do this but had been waiting on me to voice my plan.

"Alright wonder-boy. What do you have in mind." I pointed out Nico, Amethyst, and Darius.

"A simultaneous attack at the eye weak point. We need three teams. I'll let you guys choose who you want as support." I saw Amethyst shiver.

"This time you guys are going to be damage dealers. It would be natural if you guys have any doubts or problems. Speak now if you must." I saw Amethyst tremble fiercely for a moment before rallying.

With that they assembled into three groups. Diana was by my side. "Aren't you going with your guild?" She elbowed my ribs.

"Like I'd let you solo a sub-boss." I chuckle.

She saw through my plan. "Alright. Tanks, spears. You guys will bait and guards. Since you can't climb up the Vault-Keepers you'll make sure none of the other sub-bosses get to close. Take your time and be careful." Then I looked at the three people I pointed out.

"You guys are going to lean over the brow of a sub-boss. Its tricky because you need to hold on with one hand and stay on top of their heads. If they catch you..." I looked at the door. "If they catch you attack the fingers as much as you can." That was the only thing I could tell them.

I look at Silvia. "Help out Laura."

Is all I say before pushing open the door. The battle takes twenty minutes. Gladly thanks to our sheer numbers and constant shifting the sub-bosses only took me down to the yellow while everyone else was relatively green. We cheered and rallied. They completely forgot, or rather suppressed, what happened in the beginning. That was good. This time on the way back to town I pulled Jane away from the group.

"What are you planning?" She gives me a devilish smile.

"Let's just say I'm grooming you."

"Grooming?" When she doesn't answer me I try again.

"What for?" Her face is expressionless.

"I'll hold onto that secret a little while longer." I sigh as I finally notice my name is flashing.

I open up the menu and see that I've become a level twenty-five. I doubt killing all those enemies was the reason why. It must have been because of the skills I maxed out. "Good news."

"Something like that." I check my mail.

The boss was found. "No rest for the wicked."

I leave the group and head to the meeting place at the eighth tier.

One month later.

I slash downwards on the blob. Its dies with that fairly weak hit. The dungeon I was in was on the twelfth tier.

"H-hey." "Wait up." Ike and Nico called out.

There were two of my oldest friends. "Sorry about that. Got into the swing of things."

The Black Rose sword Diana had given to me had been upgraded several times since. I now held a green sword that had ivy growing from it to form the hilt. _Nature's_ _Virtue_. The sword was heavier than the last one. I was at level twenty-eight, average for most of the fifty clearers. They were busy on tiers thirteen through fifteen. Grinding or questing. I was treasure hunting with my friends. Since then we had repeatedly challenged that dungeon on tier seven they were at a satisfactory level. Twenty-two at the lowest, twenty-five at the highest. Though Diana had gone off with me for a lot of...private practice that she was actually a level higher than me.

"That woman is scary." Nico remarks.

"I know." I had since bought a house on the twelfth tier.

A quant little cottage with an attic. It was in a secluded part of the field, away from both hordes and players. I once asked Jane about her spectacular knife throwing skill.

"Its an extra ability." She told me.

"Its the javelin throwing ability under the throwing skill, supposedly." I blinked.

Javelin throwing. "Can that even work with knives?"

She stopped. "Technically it just puts a lot more of an impact on the things I throw. If I were to have a spear in hand...the result would be devastating."

I trusted her on that. I wouldn't want her throwing one around me. "Anyway, where in the hell is that boss."

We had been scrambling around for two hours, trying to find the door. "OVER HERE!"

Someone yelled. It was Amethyst. She had gotten over her trauma from the seventh tier and was an avid attacker now. Her past timidness and fear of monsters had long since past. "Right. Guys ready."

They nod before dashing towards her. They now had a guild uniform courtesy of a certain somebody with a maxed out sewing skill. White clothes with streaks of light. I don't know how but the light often formed wing or halo motifs around them. So it was amazing to see them fight, light bringers. Angels, each and everyone of them. The Alliance of White Wings were angels amongst groups. We even got mentioned in the Paper as such. It was truly a guild that many wanted to join. But it was an exclusive group of friends from the outside. I had warmed up to the idea of joining a lot. I might even ask it soon. We opened the door to the boss. _Dead_ _Kin_. It was a large mummified corpse inside a coffin. It was tricky in that it summoned _Wretched_ hordes to attack from several sides.

"Alright." Nico, Ike, and I charge in.

We were a great team. Nico and I were quick and dealt moderate damage often. Ike was our support. His spear had a range that we lacked so he'd make sure we don't get overrun. We made it to the coffin. The boss was stationary target with little else to defend itself with asides from the summoned hordes. The rest of the White Wings arrived and helped us. Nico and I dealt it a blow that reduced it to little more than nothing. The health bar was red. The coffin cracked and was about to shatter. I pulled the guys back as it did so.

"Holy mother––" A giant hand reached out and grabbed me from between my two friends.

A slightly less armored version of the _Mummified_ _Banneret_ stood before me. It roared at me as it tried to squeeze me into oblivion. Déjà vu much. Well as my brief lapse in concentration past I realized this time was different. I had my sword out and at the ready. The thing was about dead anyway, what else would I––My eyes were wide as I realized what it held in its mouth. My arm. I looked at the arm holding my sword and in a second the illusion was broken. The thing lunged at my head with its mouth open. Even though I was a strong clearer there were somethings that don't change in game. Like dying instantly from a beheading. I thrusted upwards as the fangs came near. I strained as the teeth came closer...and closer...and closer...

"...!" The wordless battle cry from my trusted comrade and g...yeah, friend yeah, that's what I totally meant to say.

But I digress. Now back to the current issue. Fangs were centimeters away and I was about to give. But my personal Angel was there to save my butt again. She threw six knives that hit the boss squarely in an eye. The thing recoiled and then froze, the last of its health obliterated. The thing died there and then. I fell fourteen feet to the ground.

"Ow." I sit up and rub my head.

My health was red. "Damn it. If I ever have to become the damsel in distress again I'm going to delegate that position to Reese."

"Hey. I'm not the one with the girly body there." I was insulted.

"For the record, I'm lean and mean. Shay or Laura here are the ones that should be the ones with the girly bodies."

"What about me?"

"Like I said Shay or Laura here are the ones that can be considered to have––" Jane's fist sent me skidding.

I was hurt so bad I had to be dragged out. Outside the dungeon I explained what I meant to Jane. After making some very good excuses and compliments to her she took me off her 'to-die" list. I was still going to follow her like a kicked puppy though, better safe than sorry.

"Well now that its settled, here." I was sitting on the ground, trying not to act like I was groveling.

I took her hand and stood. She then rapidly tapped somethings from her menu. A few seconds later I received the invite. It was an invitation to join the guild. I didn't skip a beat. I hit accept.

"Took you long enough." I said as the icon appeared next to my name.

A halo with white wings. Then I was promptly lifted up into the air. "W-wait. You guys no!"

"Three cheers!" I was violently hurled up into the air.

Though I think the tanks got a bit to enthusiastic when they threw me into a tree. I lay sprawled out on the ground. I couldn't suppress the laughter that bubbled up from me. The others joined in too. We were a guild. A family, a very strange family. On the walk back to town Jane dragged me behind a tree. Her own special gift for joining her guild.

But just in the middle of it I got a message.

"Ruined the mood." I open it up. I have never felt so shaken up as I was reading that message.

"I have to go now." I separate from Jane and use a crystal to get to the fifteenth floor.

"What happened." I asked E-stone as he grimaced.

"Its as I said. The scouting party was annihilated." Impossible.

The scouts were well into the hardest to kill of the clearing players. They were always told to prioritize surviving over anything else. But to have a wipe...

"How many?"

"Nine, three from each of the clearing guilds." Practically a fifth of our forces had been taken out.

"No way..." The room, where the various guilds met to strategize, darkened.

"I'll go this time." E-stone looked stunned.

"No way. Solo player."

This was Set, a damage dealer who wielded a mace, and leader of the Orionis Order. Their symbol was a constellation, the Hunter. "What we know is that they didn't even make it to the boss room. We had people monitoring them from over here in the city and they got wiped out one by one here." He showed me the map.

It was a large area just before the stairs to reach the next floor which had the boss. But this couldn't be right. "No...that can't be. That's a safe zone!" Set nods.

"Exactly, that means that it was players who killed them. Do you happen to know anyone who kills players with a passion?" It was a rhetorical question.

There was only one obvious answer. "Eld."

"Exactly. And from what we learned at the second boss battle was this. He's aiming for you. He has a special something in store for you." I felt my body tremble.

"And you know what else?" This one was a real question directed at me.

"What is it now?"

"We won't let him." I looked at the guild master.

Obvious confusion on my face. "Your an invaluable member of the clearing group. Your the one that told us the attack pattern for the first boss. Your the one that held back three hordes when our tank line was being demolished at tier nine. Your the guy from the twelfth boss battle that held the front line for twenty-seven minutes so our reinforcements could swap out with those inside." I stiffened slightly, only twenty-seven minutes.

"The list goes on and on. That point being that you do amazing things. Your an idol amongst the clearers." I felt my ego grow a bit.

Just a bit mind you. "Hell, if you were a bit more outgoing you could be up here with us. A guild master." I didn't believe that, and my face must have shown it.

"Its true." This was E-stone now.

"Actually when I was first leading us around I was thinking of giving up with each step we took. But then I'd see how hard you'd fight. I didn't see just you Sol. I saw a lot of people alongside you. I saw my best friends, my brother, the first people I made friends with here in this world...And I saw the people who I failed to save." No way.

Was he actually saying this. No. I'm imagining it all. He can't be serious. "You're our banner. I'm sure there are plenty more people who look at you during a fight and see that you have people behind you. You fight with everything and everyone." I clenched my fist.

I should tell them. My secret, my truth. Let it destroy their imagined notions about me. I wasn't this noble. I wasn't even that strong. Yet here I am, being referred to as an idol. I don't believe it. I looked around, no one was arguing. No one. Red wasn't among the people gathered but they were all veteran clearers. These people commanded respect.

"I see." There was only one of two things I can do here. "I see."

I approach them and bow. Then I asked one thing from them.

"Of course." The other clearers exited. I clenched my hand. I wasn't planning on revealing this till much later, when I felt more confident. I hit a few options on my menu and took down a hiding skill I had.

"Alright what was it that you––" They saw it. That emblem that glowed bright in the room.

"I won't die. I won't." It took less to convince them when they saw that. A lot less convincing.

I was only going to lead a small team. Not on a scouting mission but for finding these PKers. I considered carefully who was coming with me. I already had a few in mind but I had to go see them personally. I met this guy during the tenth tier boss fight, he was an amazing fighter. He was currently around the thirteenth tier. Item harvesting no doubt. I sigh as I go looking for him. The forest he was hunting in was thick with dead, broken trees. Several undead type monsters haunted around here. I found him taking on a horde of three high level _Damned_. The fiery ghosts screeched as they soared at him. I wasn't all that worried. He used a one handed axe. Or was it a hammer. I couldn't really tell, one side was a semi-circular blade about the size of a split dinner plate while the other side was a hammer head. He wielded this thing as easily as a knife. And his other hand was just as effective since he could chain together weapon and unarmed specials.

"Yo, Caesar." The guy, maybe seventeen, maybe sixteen-ish, grunted before he did a full circle spin with the bladed side of his weapon.

The three Damned howled before dying. "What's up?"

"I need your help."

"What's the issue?" I knew the type of effect what I was about to say would have on him.

"Player killers." He rested the axe on its loop of sturdy cloth, a type of scabbard for axe and hammer weapons. "When can we start."

A little background on Caesar. I first met him during the tenth boss fight but I didn't become good friends with him until the twelfth tier. I was out in the field gathering healing draughts for some personal level grinding when I noticed some player icons. I heard a crash a saw one of the icons disappear. I rushed recklessly through the forest to find the clearing they were in. Three tanks were surrounded by five bandit like players.

"Y–you bastards." One of them swung his sword and forced one of the PKers back.

"If you just stand quietly I'll send you with them." A spear user lunged forward and penetrated a spot that wasn't covered by thick armor.

The tank gasped before disappearing. I clenched my hands and leapt in.

"What the–" I sliced the head off the spear and landed next to the remaining tanks.

"What in hell are you?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't help your friend. But I'm here now." With that I spend the next three hours beating off players.

I was completely surrounded when one of the tanks did something surprising. She, I later learned she was a she, threw down her shield and weapon to charge into the battle. She took two bandits with her before dying. I was shocked as I leapt through the opening she made for me to escape. The last remaining tank was trembling bad. "These bastards..."

His axe looked about ready to break. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't even able to save you both."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "Its okay. She wanted me to give this to her brother. He's off soloing somewhere near the clearers." He handed me a cube.

"Do me a favor. Tell him we were strong."

"What––" He then stunned me and threw me high into a tree.

Seven more Pkers appeared as he fought on. He died after reducing three of them to nothing. I found the girl's brother after some bargaining with another pal. She pointed him out later that night. His red hair tied into a tail that seemed to burn like the anger he'll have. He was a damage dealer for sure, armored but not like a tank. He was fast, but not like some of the other agile players. He was the in between, a brute if you must.

"What do you want?" He said with evident menace and an attitude that said _I-will-kick-your-ass_.

I was able to get him to a private area where I threw him the light cube. I turned away out of respect as the message played. When he was done sobbing I offered him a hand.

"Its my fault." I tell him.

"I wasn't able to save them, any of them." He promptly knocked me down and wailed on me.

"Shut up. SHUT UP!" He told me as he landed one final blow.

"You did nothing wrong!" That shocked me and at the same time I was wondering why he was beating me.

"Nothing wrong..." He sobbed again.

The next morning he asked one thing of me. I lead him to the spot where his friends and sister got jumped. He lead me deeper into the thick foliage and we found their base. I turned a blind eye to him as I knocked down PKers. I destroyed the camp. I turned to him. It was just him standing with his one handed axe.

"They got away then?" He looked at me with red, puffy eyes.

"Yes. They got away." That's how I left it, as far as I was concerned they had escaped.

Even if I did see their dropped gear strewn across the camp. From then on we added each other to our friends lists.

"Thank you." He said to me before leaving for whatever he was going to do.

The next person I went to gather was best described as my personal blacksmith. She had come across as a mousy girl with mousy hair. But after saving her...she became my self-proclaimed fangirl of sorts. She threw herself at me as soon as I shut her door. The last time she had kissed me on the lips and prompted a harassment warning. So in hindsight this was progress. I was reluctant to call on her but if I needed to incapacitate someone, she was it. She wielded a mace like no one else. I had given her that mace too, it had ailment bonuses like crazy. Paralyzes, stun, petrification. If I wanted something, or someone, stopped this was the person for it.

"I'm going to fall Wayland." I have no idea why she chose such a masculine name. I thought I heard it before.

She told me it was the reason she became a blacksmith. I didn't question it after that. She calmly lead me back to her back room and kitchen. She did a full equipment switch, which I turned away from for her modesty's sake.

"So what do you need. Armor. Swords. A girlfriend."

"Again with that joke. It gets old after a while." I honestly couldn't tell if she was joking or being serious. I hoped she was joking. For her sake and my life if _she_ found out.

Though if I took her behavior whenever I enter her shop as an indication...I calmly sipped my tea. "So what is it you need darling." Her pink dress could have been an inch or two longer, just incase someone walked in and saw this scene.

"Remember Eld." She stiffened.

"I think they found him. I need people I can trust." She grasped my hand in both of hers. "Let me get some armor."

The story about how I met this girl, who was probably older than me, is short. I was napping up a tree, don't question it, when I rolled over and into a horde. They were a low level horde mind you. But they were creepy as hell so my first reaction was to run. After getting hopelessly lost I found a dirt covered girl digging in the mud. I stepped on a twig and she started.

"S-sorry. I got lost." When she calmed down I immediately knew she was traumatized.

She barely spoke. She was terrified of me. She was slow in responding to things I said and her eyes had a faraway expression. I could only guess what happened. When I didn't do anything for a while she returned to her task. Then I'd move and she'd look at me, terrified.

"Look I won't hurt you." I took a few steps back and she got back to her digging spot.

"What's your name?" She just kept on digging.

I just sat against a tree, thinking I might have found a nice napping spot. I fell asleep for twenty minutes, at least. I woke up with a start because of the system's killing intent. It was a sort of intuition when something was aiming at you, a sort of early warning that players have. I drew my sword and instantly was knocked back. _Savage_ _ape_. It was a monster, the thing was easily four times my size.

"Damn!" It looked like that thing could kill easily.

I leapt to the side and saw a bush shivering. "Come on!" I sheathed my sword and carried the girl in my arms.

Then it was a chase through the woods. The girl kept screaming in my arms, the harassment message filling her vision no doubt. I skidded to a halt in front of a stone wall. I placed the girl inside another bush and covered her with plenty of leaves and fronds.

"Stay here–"

The ape slammed me against the wall. Its arm pinned me as I saw saliva drip from its tusks. I used _Phalanx_ to break its arm and then kicked off its chest to put some distance between us. The then Black Rose glittered in the ambient light. _Crescent_ silenced the beast's howling. I stood huffing for a moment, then I noticed that the bush was empty.

"Now where did you go?" I scanned around for a player marker.

"High quality. Rareness is high. Needs a good sharpening." The tiny voice came from my side.

It was her, she was admiring the Black Rose. "S-so you can talk."

With that it was as if a spell had been broken. She dashed off into the forest. "H-hey, wait up."

I thought I knew where to find her. In ten minutes I found her digging in her patch of ground. Glittering stones were barely visible. Then I realized it, whatever trauma she had endured it was related to ores. I scanned around us and determined that there were no enemies near by. I got onto my knees and helped her dig. She backpedaled away rapidly, but I knew what to do. I continued on with her task and uncovered more of the ores. Gradually she neared. We spent ten minutes uncovering the glittering stones. In the end she was leaning heavily against a tree, panting and gasping for breath.

I handed her the ore. "Here." She cupped it in her hands and held it close to her heart. Her sobs were quiet.

The forest seemed to suck them in and snuff out the cries of sorrow and of pain. I draped a cloak over her shoulders and took her back to town. She looked weak and ragged. I wondered when was the last time she slept or ate in-game. It was possible to show others a small status screen that showed the time elapsed since the last time slept or ate. But I doubted she could have walked a straight line let alone opened up that specific menu. The first thing that I showed her was a café. It was relatively empty asides from some NPCs. I bought her some food and watched her cry a little with each bite she took. I remembered what the high S+ class meals tasted like, and how the shock that something can taste that good drove me tears. But this was regular NPC made food, nothing all that special. It must have been a long time since she had a decent meal. The next thing I had to do was get her some new gear. I messaged Red since she was close.

She arrived in twenty minutes. "Who's this?" She immediately asked.

I explained the state in which I found her in, and then I asked if she could take her shopping.

"S-sure. Will she come with me, though?" The girl was hiding behind me, afraid.

It took some coaxing and a lot of patience but she finally followed Red to the market. Over the next hour I spent my time watching the dividing sky above. I wondered just what stars were supposed to mimic. If you looked up at certain times you could see mysterious lights flashing in the sky. They came back and I hardly recognized her.

"Sol, this is Wayland." I had wondered her name for quite a while.

I greeted her, using her username. She gave me a cute curtesy. Red then suggested she get some sleep. After she hugged me for some reason she followed Red again. I wouldn't see her for a few days. But she seemed to mostly recover. She didn't talk about before I found her but I saw the change. She was happy and smiling. She was especially happy when Red and I were around. But back to the second time I saw her. She was working a small portable forge next to the café. People were gathered around her. Admiring her work. I couldn't help it as well. She made some amazing pieces, even going so far as to make me some special lightweight gauntlets. I was mesmerized by her skill.

Afterwards when her crowd had died down she let me see it. "T-three hundred!"

That was about a third of the skill. The most advanced blacksmith I had met was around two-hundred at best. She must have been making full sets of armor since the game started.

"Are you proud?" She asked me.

I didn't understand why my opinion mattered but I gave it.

"YES! I mean, this is amazing." I took a moment to think.

"That's it." I grabbed her hand and lead her to the edge of town.

"W-where are we going?" She asked me timidly.

"Well that little roadside shop doesn't fit you." I stopped by the market and chock-full the sell window with high level treasures and collect the money.

We walk for a while longer before we're standing in front of it. "This is your shop." I hit the buy option and exhausted my reserve of Lire.

"W-what!?" I switch the deed over to her. "You heard me. This is your smithy now. Treat it well." She hugged me, again.

She practically squeezed me flat. "To tight!" She let go, blushing.

"S-sorry." I smile. "Well don't worry. You'll get to work off this small debt to me."

"WORK!" I smile.

"Congratulations. Your my personal blacksmith now. That means you'll have to put up with me till the end of the game." Nothing can accurately describe the sparkle in her eyes as I said that.

The last person who I met with was a person who was introduced to me by Gent. "I don't come cheap but you'll soon find out why." Was her opening line to me.

She was an amazing information gatherer. Her skills with unarmed combat and a knife were also nothing to look down on. Her hair was constantly ruffled by the hood she wore. But the constants about her were the two locks of hair that framed her doll-like face. I was originally hostile against her, for obvious reasons but she proved to be an exception, like Caesar.

Now let me explain why I was originally against her.

"This is my comrade." Gent introduced us.

The doll-like girl in front of me didn't seem all that impressive but looks can be deceiving. I should be living proof of that. "I don't come cheap but you'll soon find out why. My name is Gaia." I shake her hand.

"So–"

"Yes yes. Sol. Wonder boy. Solo of the clearing group. I know." I felt a bit irate at the this girl in front of me.

"Yes yes formalities over now." She took a seat and I sat down across from her.

"Now then I'll leave you to do business." Gent left immediately.

"What a useful guy." Gaia said.

She then let out a quiet laugh. "So why are we here?" I finally asked.

"Ah well that's the question worth all the Lire isn't it. Well let me tell you this. Sol, your an idiot." I nodded.

I've been called several rude things for being unnaturally good. Although this one was a bit out of the blue I was use to getting spontaneously called out and insulted.

"I want to change that." Now that was really a curve ball.

"What do you me––" She threw me a cube.

I caught it. It was an audio recording.

"..." A light crackling sound could be heard.

Maybe leaves underfoot. "...Sol..." I froze.

No way. This voice, it has to be that guy. Eld. "Sol...he's cheated death one to many times, I think its about time we slice him down a peg...or four."

Some light cackling could be heard. I was listening intently when Gaia's hand came out and snatched it away. "Again, I don't come cheap."

After haggling with some bits of armor I had I got the cube recorder back. "Brother Blue, what will you do when we meet his lady Red?" I shivered.

"I'll paralyze her and string her up in the field." There was some laughs at this.

"And..."

"I'll steal that cloak, and whatever else is underneath. Let all the wild animals and players get an uncensored view of that fair skin." I thought I heard the sound of metal on metal.

"Brother Deg, what will you do?" There was a maniacal type laugh.

"I'll string that halfwit up by his thumbs and use him for a dart board." I fearfully rubbed my thumbs.

"Then I think we'll drag his Red over to see him. To call out to him. We'll start with his wrists and ankles, then work our way up to the main event." There was a sickly silent pause.

"His scrawny neck." There were several cheers at this.

Then a small crackling sound again. "Wait! There! Get that––" The cube fell silent as the recording ended.

"W-what was that?" Gaia took the cube back.

"I think we both know what that was." There was a cold moment when all I could do was clench my hand and be mad.

"As I've said before, your stupid. Did you really think this...degenerate would simple let you go after being deterred two times?" I was hopeful, but somewhere I knew that he was still looking for me.

"Now he has his guild. His group, the Scarlet Abyss." I shivered.

Only a killing guild could fit a name like that. "And he plans on murdering you. I think this little snippet is enough to convince you that we need to take immediate action." I agreed.

"But the clearing group is to busy to deal with rumors and the like. I'd go with one of the lower tier guilds but I rather don't like sending people to their deaths." I agreed with her there.

It was highly likely that Eld was plotting something. But it wasn't a sure thing that would bring the clearing group from the higher tiers, especially if it was just some audio recording and not a shot of the man himself. I didn't like to think what would happen if some of the other lower level guilds went after him. I had a flash back to the first two boss battles. If Eld had just gone straight to it and attacked me I wouldn't get lucky. I'd be dead. But instead he'd tried to let a boss finish me off. Then he tried torturing me and wasted his window of opportunity. But now he had people around him. And he had a plan so that he can waste as much time killing me as he wants. I rub my shoulder where Eld had stuck his dagger in at the second tier boss fight. This was something I had to deal with personally.

"Now this is a one time deal I'm going to offer you. I'll give you a gathering location and time for their meeting. All you have to do is bring me along for back-up." So what did I do. I brought her along.

"Is it much farther?"

"At least four more hours, this forest maze can't be bypassed." I grumbled quietly.

When I couldn't take blindly stomping through the woods any longer I sat down. "Tired Solo." I lightly glared at her.

"How is it that you know this place anyway?" It was a reasonable question.

Her face took a darker expression. "Oh...Let's just say for several days I was on talking terms with Eld." I felt my blood freeze.

In an instant sparks flew from her dagger as my sword came down. I had shot towards her, weapon drawn. "Who are you?"

For a second I saw something, something I've only seen in Eld in her eyes. I was unnerved. She kicked me back and retreated a bit into the forest. "Just a concerned player."

There might have been a hint of a lie in her voice. I fought her for hours until I finally cornered her against a cliff edge. "This can only end one way." I tell her as I level my sword.

"Idiot. I'm not a PKer." She was blatantly lying there.

We both knew it. "I see."

I take a measured step towards her. "Tell me why you really brought me he––" A knife pierced my heart, a critical blow.

I toppled forward from the paralyzes ailment that was afflicted on me. "Well if it isn't the deserter and the golden goose." I grimaced. "Eld."

The next second his boot slammed into my face and knocked me unconscious. Fun fact, unconsciousness is an ailment as well. I remember only my health bar with a black diamond pulsating through my eyelids. Searing the image into my mind. When my eyes finally opened I was at the bottom of a pit like cave. A large hole at the top of the cave trembled slightly. "Well well. If it isn't out little pin cushion."

"Eld..." I glared at him.

"Would you like something while your down there. A bed, some food, a beverage?" That smile of his sent a chill down my back.

"Why am I alive?" His smile wavered.

"Killing you while your asleep is not fun. I'd like to see you go through the stages before dying." Stages?

"Don't worry. You wont' be alone. That little," He strangled the air.

I could only think of one person who he could be after. Red. He sighed. "But don't worry. She'll be here soon enough."

"Eld. Whatever your planning–" A knife flew at me and pinned my foot to the ground.

I gritted my teeth. "I already know what your thinking. I won't stop with just you. I won't. Now wait patiently for your execution." I bent down and pulled out the throwing knife.

"Before I forget," He leaned out of the way of the knife as it flew at him.

"I've already notified your friends. Don't worry, we'll let them see you in your final moments." I wanted to kill him.

Eld, the bastard. As soon as he was gone I immediately tried to climb the cave wall. I got half way up the thirty foot wall. Then the rocks broke off and I fell. After picking myself up and watching my health regenerate I attempted again.

And again. I must have been doing this for three hours. I heard clapping, Eld was back. "So we finally got your friend. She's been putting up quite a bit of resistance. Don't worry, the boys are going to take good care of her." I felt my body shake.

No. They couldn't have got her. Not her. Red...I immediately climbed, Eld looked at me with a slightly amused expression. He laughed as I fell half a dozen times. I grabbed one of the stones and threw it at him. He exited the cave before I got a lucky throw in.

"ELD!" I kept trying.

Must, its not an option. Mo matter how bad things would get here I'd crawl out and strangle him if I had to.

"AHHHHH!" I threw myself at the wall one more time, I climb up and past the point where I fall.

I grab the edge of the hole overlooking my natural cell. I pull myself over it and onto ground. Looking around I see no one around. My stomach wrings me full of pain."NNNOOO!"

I dashed off in the direction of the scream. It takes me ten minutes to crash into their camp. Its semicircular around a post. Eld was opposite it, in a large seat, a throne. The five other PKers also seemed startled to see me. I dashed forward, weaponless. The one who was trying to force the girl tied to the post to do something was in my sights. The tank lifted his shield as I got close. I slammed into it hard.

"GAAHHH!" I gripped the edge of the shield hard and wrenched it down.

I was face to face with the PKer. My angry expression countering his startled one. I slammed my head into his nose and saw him recoil. My fist glowed. The special _Shatter_ connected with the shield and sent the tank sliding back. The others were getting their weapons ready. I leapt at the pole behind me, I destroy the wooden column and free her.

"HAA!" I duck under a _Crescent_ from a PKer.

I tackle him to the ground and beat him. I use _Phalanx_ at point blank range I render his left arm, the one he used to shield his face, useless and broken. I rolled off him as a dagger wooshed by me. I grab a great sword and ready my stance. "Can you hear me?" I call over my shoulder.

"Run, I'll hold them off." I lunged forward and parried a blow from Eld.

I leapt away and was bashed from behind by the tank. "Brother Blue, keep at it!" I glared at the tank, at Blue.

I used _Ankle_ _Breaker_ to knock him down. "Don't mess with me!" I throw the great sword at Eld. Aiming for his neck.

But sadly miss. "Now Deg!" A knife pierced my side.

A man with eyes as wide as the moon and a cheshire cat grin. He drove the blade into my up to the hilt. I used _Palm_ _Strike_ on him and send him flying. I pull the knife out of my ribs and look at the three standing PKers. I concentrate on only one of them. Eld. I dash forward, ignoring the weapons coming at me as I close the distance.

"ELD!" Our knives collide and sparks fly.

We turn and separate. My back to the forest, I watched Eld's knife glow. My health had somehow stayed green as Eld launched at me. _Breaker_, the two consecutive strike attack hit me fully. I flew back and slammed into a tree. My health flashing yellow, almost red. I stood shakily. Get out of here. Every last nerve screamed.

But Red was still–– "Loo––" The PKer flopped to the ground.

I saw a cloak flutter. Most of her equipment had been de-equipped when I had freed her from the pole. She must have grabbed this tattered thing to cover up. The dagger she wielded glowed. I now recognized the move she used. _Rivet_. "Gaia?!"

I lunged forward during the confusion and knocked down one of Eld's guards, or what I thought was his guard. Eld leapt back as the knife past within inches of his neck.

"Fight back! We are going to murder them!" Eld stared right at me as he spoke.

Blue surged from my right and tackled me. His fist felt heavy as it repeatedly punched me. "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAA!" It was like he was foaming at the mouth. I stabbed the knife into his shoulder and watched him wince. "DIE!" So he was capable of putting two thoughts together.

His fist glowed and I knew my health wouldn't be able to take the hit. "Incoming!" I saw a brown boot glow before colliding with his head.

Blue flew off me as Gaia stood there. Recovering from her special. "Just a few more sec––" I saw how low her health was.

We weren't going to last two more minutes. She dropped to her knees next me. I stood, panting. The strain and fatigue of fighting and slowly dying was taking its toll. Eld smiled as his dagger glowed. If it was _Breaker_ we wouldn't survive. I glanced at Gaia. Eld lunged and I grabbed Gaia by the hood of her cloak. I threw her into a bush, leaving my side open to Eld.

"HAHAHAHAHHA!" He seemed to have lost it.

His blade was about to pierce me. I wanted to see it, to watch, but I just closed my eyes. I heard a tearing sound and metal on metal. I'm dead, I just know it. I open my eyes and see Eld, without an arm. "Not again!" He howled.

A red cloak stood between him and me. "Retreat!" Eld called as more people rushed from the forest around him.

He charged into the woods with maybe ten players after him. I huffed, then laughed.

"Thanks for the save Red." I drop the knife.

"Sit down." She said as she saw me totter.

I chugged down a few healing draughts and rested against the remains of the pole.

"Thank god we made it in time." She told me that after Eld sent them the message that I had been caught, and how someone sent their location data to the clearers.

"There was immediate action. We have a few more on the way, they'll probably track Eld and his guild for a few more hours. If they don't get him then at least he'll stay away for a bit longer." I nod.

Then I frown. Gaia sat away from us, Gent was at her side asking her several questions. She had all her gear on again. Though I doubt she'll get over what Eld did anytime soon. When she's done with Gent I pull her aside. "I know you don't like us PKers," She started off.

"But that was under a different situation. I did what I had to do to make sure I survived. Eld just happened to think I was one of his psychopath buddies." I apologize.

Several times. "No, your not all at fault. I should have come clean about myself first. Then we wouldn't have been blindsided by Eld and all this," I nod, before she finishes. I apologize again as my eyelids weigh down on my vision.

"I'm sorry. I just...didn't think there was a person like you out there." She nods stiffly.

"I guess there isn't. But just so you know," I saw a glint in her eyes.

"Eld is mine to take care of." It would take several days before we had established something similar to trust. We forgave each other and tried to move on. Though I still feel a pang of guilt about what happened.

I pace around the entrance to the dungeon. Wayland is busy nibbling on a sandwich. Caesar is staring intently at his weapon. Probably gathering his grit before heading into the dungeon. Red arrived. "I heard, your some type of crazy." I shrug.

Jane arrives a few minutes later. "Your an idiot. A full blown idiot." I somehow get her to put off the scolding for later.

"I don't come cheap, remember that?" Gaia said as she sneaked by me.

I look at my small team. We were approaching the size of a boss scouting team. Wayland eyed all the girls with a hint of menace and hostility. I sense that Jane and Red wanted to be put apart. Caesar was as calm as a rock. He held his weapon at the ready. Gaia just yawned and looked over a few bits of armor that was her payment. "Alright. I know you all heard of Eld so I'll make this short." I looked at the dungeon entrance.

"In there is probably the most dangerous thing in this game. He'll kill without hesitation, he has psychopaths for allies. He killed nine of the clearers as they were heading to the boss room." I saw Caesar tremble.

"Now in here we'll need to trust each other a lot. More than if this was a regular dungeon clearing." I wanted to make sure there was teamwork here.

"That's why there won't be secrets here. Gaia, Caesar. Diana, Red, Wayland If you have a problem leave now. If not, you can say your piece." No one moved.

No one said a thing. "The groups will need to absolutely count on each other." I looked at Gaia, she knew what I meant.

"There is no room for sudden revelations and suspicion." She kept quiet.

Caesar watched the floor. "I'll say it if you won't." I saw Wayland look at all the people around.

It was Caesar that was spoke up. "Fine then."

Then Wayland and Red chimed up. "We don't have any secrets that will harm the group." I just looked at them.

"Wayland here is terrified of the undead-like monsters. She'll freeze up on you for whole minutes if one gets to close." I saw Wayland go bright scarlet.

"Red, you forget that asides from me your also very high on Eld's hit list. Your a key member of the clearing group. Your confident and have a strong will. But its that confidence and stubbornness that might get us all up to our necks in problems." She glared at me. "W-what!" I looked at Jane as she started.

"You actually have people waiting for you to come back. Your a guild leader and as cold as ice. But you also keep most of your thoughts and plans to yourself. Against Eld we don't need to go Solo." She just blinked at me.

I guess she didn't expect me to use her own words against her. I finally got to the most troublesome pair.

"Caesar." He looked at me cooly.

"You hate PKers with a passion. We don't need hot heads, especially with Eld. If you lose it I will knock you down. I won't have anyone die here." He nodded to me.

"And Gaia. I hope your personal vendetta against Eld won't get in the way." She nods.

"Not anymore than yours. But as a side note, your just as hotheaded, impulsive, arrogant, and stubborn as the rest of us. Maybe even more so." I nod, she was probably right. Probably.

"When your right, your right. But to get this out into the open. They need to know." She stiffened.

"I guess it beats Eld telling them." She whispered.

I turn to face the others. "Gaia here will be the one Eld tries to goad the most. He'll bring up her past as a PKer." The life seemed to drain from everyone.

"Any questions? Good. Caesar I want you to link with her––" I saw his axe swing down. Gaia leapt back in time to avoid the worst of it. I then watched them try to kill each other.

"Great, just great."


	5. Phase 04

**A/N–This chapter has a few things done differently. Including a bit more backstory in a very interesting style. Like it, Hate it, comment or PM me. I also figured out a few things I'd like to test out in later chapters, see you.**

Phase 04 Assault

I expected this to happen but actually seeing it was another thing. I sighed deeply. I charged in the middle of them. Her knife stabbed into my ribs, I grabbed onto his axe before he sliced off my arm. It took them a heartbeat to calm. I sigh again. Then I slam my elbow hard into Caesar's ribs. He gasps. I disarm him and headbutt him hard. He drops back, smarting.

"Alright, now that that's settled." I lifted Caesar up, dusted him off and handed him his weapon back.

"Now then as I was saying, I need you to link with Gaia." I saw his eyes burn.

"Remember, we don't need hot heads. Besides she's an ally." He looked ready to slaughter her.

I glared back at him, then I whispered. "Not all PKers are murders by choice. Some are. You are aren't you?" With that I saw a spark of agony in his eyes.

Then he bowed his head and discreetly coughed into his shoulder. After I saw him operate his menu and Gaia except the request I returned to the dungeon's entrance.

"Alright, Wayland." I sent her the request, she was overjoyed as she accepted.

That left Diana and Red to pair up. "Now, I know that there are better people here who can lead but I only have one goal and plan in mind." I operated my inventory, selecting two potions. I threw one to Caesar.

"We are not here to fight monsters, only to find and disperse Eld and his company. I won't allow anyone to die here. We get into deep trouble we teleport out." I saw everyone nod.

"We won't kill," unless necessary.

It was left unspoken but I could feel that they picked up on it. "Knowing Eld he'll know he's beat and escape. If we can we'll take him in. But what I'm worried about is the Scarlet Abyss. Eld's PKer guild." I saw Red shiver.

"Gaia, any idea on their numbers?" She yawned, her eyes a bit watery.

"Yeah, took a lot of time to piece together." She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking.

"If the sightings are spot on, then he has somewhere around thirty PKers." That was a terrible number.

"But we've never seen them in groups larger then ten." Alright.

Ten possible mid-to-high level maniacs. We were six high level clearers. All, except one, had a lot of combat experience. They were experts in killing. They'd have the upper hand, they had been in the room. They knew where to hide, where to attack. I licked my lips. This might not be in our favor, unless I can somehow pull of the stupidest idea ever.

"Caesar." He nods to me.

"That's a speed potion. It makes you quite fast. It has a moderately long duration. You will take it because we're going to run as fast as we can through this dungeon and into that room." He nods.

I turn to Wayland, her orange armor shined. "Wayland, get on my back."

"Excuse me?" I heard three voices say.

"We're doing the equivalent of a speed run here. I don't have another speed potion either and my speed could use some improving." It was true.

I had been putting a few more points into my speed and agility to match my strength increase. But still I doubt I could match Gaia, Diana, and I especially doubt I could match Red. With Wayland on me I'd be going at a tank's pace, but with the speed potion. I'd be able to follow closely.

"Ah, alright?" I kneeled and let Wayland get on.

I uncorked the potion. "Alright, this is it. You will not die." I say the last part in a whisper. I doubt even Wayland could have heard it.

Caesar and I down our speed potions. My body feels lighter, even with the additional weight on it. I look over my comrades, my friends. I let a small smile play across my lips. _Friends, huh._ I look at Cooper. He gives me the thumbs up before disappearing behind Red. I shake my head.

"Let's go." I can only hear the wind whistling as I dash into the dark.

We had gone remarkable far. The speed potion still had a few more minutes when I spotted the door to the safe zone. We stopped right before it. We had sustained minimal damage. Though we were all a bit out of breath. Caesar looked a bit shocked that he could go that fast.

"This is the deciding moment." Wayland gets off me as we approach the door.

"We're going in fast. Caesar, Gaia, with me." Red and Diana would cover the rear.

I placed my hand on the door. I counted off to three in my head. I push through the door and charge. I immediately see three figures waiting in the center of room. One of them is smiling at me. Eld. I draw my weapon and surge directly at him.

"I got him!" His smile never faltered.

Not even as I got halfway to him. Then everything went wrong. Something pierced my left leg, my right shoulder. I saw an arrowhead sticking out of my chest. I kept on running and then two more arrows finally knocked my down. Eld reached down and lifted me up by my neck.

"Hello again, Sol." I spat at him.

My hatred for him flared. I saw about ten PKers rush from behind him. I heard scuffling behind me and I knew the fighting had begun. I was paralyzed, the arrows had barely taken an eighth of my health all together. But Eld choking me was dropping my health quite fast. My regeneration rate was only barely able to match the loss.

"I just love it when a plan bears fruit." He said with such evident excitement that I wanted to lash out.

Instead I just watched him, my paralyzes rapidly ending. I saw one of his guards, Blue, approach. "You know what to do."

Blue grabbed the front of my shirt. He then threw me down hard at Eld's feet. I was sprawled out on the floor, wincing from the sudden impact.

"Now!" I saw a dark shape leap from above the door.

A silvery bow in her hands. I saw them, the glinting arrows. I saw them connect. I was nailed to the floor. I hadn't even thought of something like this. This sadistic way of holding someone down.

"Eld, you bastard let me go!" I struggled but I was as good as fused with the floor.

"Oh hush now. Just watch and enjoy. Your friends versus my guild." I craned my neck to watch them.

My friends against a dozen PKers. Worse odds than one of us for every two of them. Gladly my friends were holding their own. The PKers were used to killing not fighting. There is a difference. Gaia explained it to me. _They kill off the weak. They go as a group and whittle down the health of one then finish him_. Eld was different. But Eld wasn't a clearer. We learned to survive in this world. I saw Caesar knock back three killers with his axe. I grin. They can do this. They are not just prey, they are clearers. Even little Wayland was holding her own. I was glad that I had given her that mace. She was stunning people like crazy.

I let out a laugh. "Amused?" Eld said as he stepped on my arm.

"Very. I'm going to personally drag your ass to prison." He grinned at me.

"You liked what you saw? Your friends fighting off my guild? Don't." I felt cold dread gather in the pit of my stomach.

Looking again I saw that he was right. A killer is a killer. They would fight until they were dead or they killed off their opponent. My friends weren't like that. Gaia had killed out of fear for her survival. Caesar killed for revenge. But none of us killed for the sake of the kill, none of us saw the pleasure. I now saw my friends get whittled down. Their health was in the yellow. Even if the enemy was in the red I doubted even Caesar, in this moment, would take that final blow.

"Now you see the difference. Its kill or be killed here. I'll show you that myself." Eld clapped his hands and I saw his murderers, his killers, his guild, back off.

My friends had their back's pressed against one another. "I congratulate you. You survived the initial attack." Eld was smiling as he said this.

"The others were to surprised and scared to stay together. Do you think it was because they didn't expect us. Or rather." I heard his voice.

It was different. Crueler. "Because I joined the attack." I knew then.

He was different. He wasn't a player. He wasn't even a murderer. "I am a god amongst these weaklings. I hold death in my hands. This is the hand that will hold the key to your salvation." He thought he was right.

No, he knew it with every fiber of his being. He wielded that power of his faith like a weapon, a divine instrument. He knew that he could kill, he knew that he would take a life if he interfered. He was the savior, we were the damned. "Now who wants to go first?" He takes a step towards them.

The atmosphere changes. His guild members bow to him. He was the king here. This death game was his palace, we were only visiting. I knew now, his reason for killing. It was because he can. Because he thought it the ultimate path, the only end.

"Run!" I struggle on the floor. Inching the arrows out of the ground.

I wrench one of my hands free. I pull an arrow out of my other hand. "Run!" I grab my sword pull myself towards Eld.

"And just like that your done." Eld snaps his fingers and his guild returns to the assault.

But things were different. My friends weren't quite as fast. They had lost a bit of their will to fight. In the face of a person like Eld, who would kill and rejoice as an act of God, what else were they to do. Eld watched, his smile lording over all.

"Eld!" I see the battle freeze for a second.

My sword in hand, my feet and hands glowing red from where the arrows pierced them. "I don't care what you think about yourself." I take a step towards him.

"But if you kill in front of me," I tensed.

"I will slaughter you all." I knew then that if Eld managed to kill I'd lose it.

I'd become no better than one of his followers. I'd whittle him down and enjoy killing him. His smile became a bit more...horrid. "If you do that then I may very well chose you as my successor."

We were three feet away. I could stare into his eyes. He could look into mine. I didn't think that I had divine power like Eld did. But I knew I had power as well. Eld thought he knew what the ultimate end of this death game was. I'd like to argue with that. I stab forward. Slicing into his shoulder. His fist knocked me off balance as he thrusted his knife into my side. There was a certain pressure behind his knife, as if he was forcing a bit of death with every attack. I slammed my elbow into his neck and watched him recoil. I remember what the clearing guild masters had said. That I fought with everything and everyone behind me. I personally didn't think I did. But I could be wrong. And right now, against the very symbol of what this game does to people, I wanted to be wrong. My green blade bit into his side. My knee connected with his gut and he doubled over.

"Nice shot." He stabs hard into my knee and topples me.

On the ground I kick at him and roll away as he stabs into the ground. "Tell me Sol. Why do you fight?"

I grab his wrist and push him back as he tries to drive the knife into me. I grit my teeth and kick him off me. "Because I don't want to die."

"Not good enough." Eld lets himself get pierced by sword.

Now he's in range to deal me heavy damage. I'm knocked back by his attack. "Why do you fight?" I spit, a slight metallic taste in my mouth. Though there is no blood.

"Because I don't want my friends to die." I used _Crescent_ and shave a lot of Eld's life away.

"Not good enough." He uses _Shatter_ and knocks me down.

"I'll ask again. Why do you fight?" I grimace and sweep his legs out from under him.

We roll away from one another and stand. I see his health is in the low yellow. Mine is climbing from the red. I look at him, he's not even fazed by the situation. I know he'll win like that. I close my eyes. What am I? What am I fighting for? I remember what I thought once when Diana broke my sword. When Jane broke my sword, I was lost. I remember it now, I was a sword. _Why do you fight?_ I remember asking those same words to someone once. He told me because he could. I remember what I am, a sword that is to be used.

"I fight because I can!" I lunge at Eld.

He blocks my initial attack and I punch him hard. He stumbles back. "Still not good enough." He readies a special.

All my instincts tell me to run, to dodge. But I know what I can do. I step closer to him. My blade glowing. It was a the four hit special, _Lunula._ The first hit is a thrust. It matches his special and cancels it. The next two attacks are like dual _Crescents_. One from right to left, the other from left to right. The final hit starts as a thrust. I follow the motion and step forward to catch Eld low in the ribs. Then I turn, with the blade. The forward momentum abruptly turns into a swinging motion. I stand with my back to Eld. The light fades from my blade as he is knocked back. His stomach had three parallel red lines.

His health is low. "Still not good enough." He says as I turn.

I can still hear the fighting. But Eld was done. I saw the Tank Blue cover him as they both teleported away. I stand straight, my body sore. "AHHHH!" A spear user dashes at me.

I smack his weapon off its aim and stab into his chest. He falls with his health reduced to the red. "Run! Eld has escaped!" I yell.

I see fear cloud the eyes of some of them, then their crystals sparkle in their hands. The firsts to escape all that were in the red. The ones in yellow fought harder for a bit. They too escape. We are all either red or verging to fall into the red. "Oh god that was hard." Caesar complains.

He was the lowest in health, Wayland close behind him. I wasn't all that better though. "Yeah. I guess we forgot about the 'teleport out' part of the plan." I want to fall, to lay on the floor for a bit. To rest.

My healing is slowly taking me out of the danger zone. "Meh. We just didn't want to leave you here with Eld. Who knows what he might have done." I don't show just how tired I was.

I had to show that I wasn't rattled. That I was a sword that is still intact. "Nighty-night!" I turn in a flash.

The one called Deg lunges at me. I feel the impact as it stabs into me. His health is still green. "SOL!" I'm pushed back several feet.

If not for the armor on my hand when I blocked I would have died. The others were slow. Deg was still fresh and ready to fight. "I got this." I raise my sword.

To survive I'd need to avoid getting hit even once for at least a solid minute. For my health to return to the yellow, maybe twenty minutes, maybe ten. I knew that the regenerative factor slows down when your borderline dead. If having maybe four rows of red dots wasn't borderline then I was Ms. Latin America. I raise my sword at Eld's demented follower. He smiles so wide I thick he isn't even human. He seems so different than Eld, or the other PKers. I think he was just to broken to want anything other than to kill. I calm my breathing, and solidify my image. I was a sword, the edge keen, the blade untouched. I was strong, I was solid, I will not die here. I dash to meet Deg. He thrusts at me. His speed unimpaired by fatigue. I block, barely. I shoulder him back and then kick his gut hard. He slides back a few feet. He was very lightly armored. He winks at me before his knife glows. I swallow hard. I doubt that I could stand to parry a special. I duck under the initial slash and then roll to the side as the blade comes back and dives right at me.

I recover. "Come on!" He yells at me.

He then unleashes the fastest barrage of thrusts I've seen. I must have avoided or parried thirty something attacks in twice as many seconds. I duck under one thrust and tackle him. I pin his knife arm and bury my sword into his gut. He smiles at me and punches me hard. I wince as I watch his health dip into the yellow. We roll, our positions reversed. He held my sword in place, still piercing his gut. His knife inched closer to my neck.

"COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!" His mad chant echoed in my ears.

"CO–" I heard a loud thud and he rolled off me.

His health was in the red. Caesar was next to me. The hammer side of his axe glowed and faded. "What?" He said as he helped me up.

I laugh. "Oh god that was something." He hands me a healing draught.

I gladly chug it. "This isn't over!" Deg crawls away, then uses a crystal.

I stare at the place where he had been. Then I scan around the room. Empty. "All right then." I manipulate my inventory.

I hold a pillow in a second. "What are you–" I throw it down and fall. I land face first in soft heaven.

I grumble in the meeting. E-stone and the guild masters announce that Eld has been dealt with. There are some cheers. After a bit more talking about scouting missions I follow Red to a café. "Thanks." I tell her.

"No, it was nothing." I shake my head. I had a preposition for her. It was one I'd have to run through the guild but I had recently been made sub-commander.

"You know you should go and find yourself a guild." She sighs.

"I don't really like most of those tank oriented clearing guilds. They don't have the flexibility I want." I shake my head.

"Look, its just as a precaution. I've been thinking about a few offers now. If I take one I think you should as well." She blinked, wide eyed at me.

"What's with this sudden change from solo?" My coffee beverage arrives.

"Its just Eld. I worry now that if I camp out in the field I'll wake up at the Pearly Gates." She nods.

"I worry about you too." She pauses before drinking her coffee, was it something I said.

I still can't get over the fact that I can't see her expression because of that cloak. "You're on his list just like me. Maybe not as high but your on it." She nods.

"What I'm saying is this, join a guild. Its just to up your life expectancy." I think I see her smile.

"Fine. I'll consider it. On a condition." I feel a bit of dread in me.

"You tell me what great guild you join so I can apply. I wonder if they'll even accept me after having the hero of the clearers, rising star, Sol join them." My fame was for a more closed group.

"Yeah yeah." We split up after that.

I promise to message her. Its been two weeks and four floors since the assault on Eld. We were preparing for the nineteenth boss fight. But today was a special day. It was Jane's birthday and as Sub-commander I was in charge of it. I was cooking while the others were out gathering presents. I had Wayland make mine. It had required a gem and some silver ore. But it was done. I felt embarrassed about it, now that I thought about it. I bought a gift box from a local store. Just two weeks shy of a full six months of our imprisonment. It was nice to have these happy occasions.

_I should have realized then that my time had come. I had pissed off Eld and showed him Jane. I had given him every instrument for my downfall_.

I'm in the kitchen of our guild house. The thing had cost us every last Lire we had but it was worth it. The large house on the fifteenth floor had every luxury in it. Baths. Beds. Kitchen full of utensils. It was in here that I was baking a cake.

"Need help?" Laura asked as she came in from the fairly large living room.

"Nope. Where are Mike and the rest of the guys?" She shrugged.

"They were going to the market. Something about movie night." I had no idea what it was that they could be doing.

In ten minutes the cake was out. I chose the icing and decorated the cake. "That looks amazing!" Mike said as he got home.

I smacked his hand hard. "Its not time yet. Someone know where Jane is?"

Shay answered that. "She's coming. Everyone to their places." I dimmed down the lights.

We heard Jane stumble in. She collapsed on the couch and stayed there. "God, what are you idiots planning?" I paint her lips with icing.

She blubbered as she stood up. "SURPRISE!" I saw a look on her face. She hated the fact of celebrating her birthday. I can't quite remember why.

That just made it all the more pleasurable. "Alright then, impress me." Sim got the cake.

"I'm impressed." Laura had the honors of cutting out the first slice.

We sang "happy birthday" to Jane as she sat in her self proclaimed throne. A recliner. The smile on her overrode the frown she had at the beginning. She was enjoying this one. "Alright its time for the presents."

I can tell you she got a few pairs of shoes, a dress of great quality. A new knife that was from some personal dungeon clearly, courtesy of Sim. A tiara, a slab of meat, which immediately went to me, something in a closed box that Laura told her not to open. Then there was a new cloak and a set of bracelets in one. "Thank you guys."

"Wait up, we have the best." Mike and Jack said smiling. "Well lets see it." They shook their heads.

"Not till lover boy here gives you you gift."

"H-hey!" I hated the fact that my face went red.

I took out the red box. "H-here." I wasn't even sure if she'd like it.

Thankfully she didn't open it. Sadly Laura saw that and took it. "Come on, your ruining the fun." I turned away, the dust on the floor was fairly interesting.

"HOLY CRAP!" Laura held up the diamond ring.

"Holy––" Several eyes set on me.

"What? Overkill." I tugged at my collar.

My face must be scarlet right now. Jane snatched the ring and calmly put it on. "I'm not one for jewelry but thank you."

"I figured that, it has quiet a few stat boosts to make it worthwhile." I probably ruined the mood with that.

"Okay you guys can make out later look at this!" I glared at Mike and Jack.

They held cubes, recording cubes. "Oh, what's in them this time." They grinned like little kids.

"Boss battles." I felt my face become pale.

Jane smiled. "That sounds interesting." She looked at me as she said it.

I needed to get out before I got swamped with questions. "Yeah, we also got an amplifier display." They took out a larger cube that had a slot on top.

I cough into my shoulder. "Well you guys enjoy. I think I'm catching cold." I made to go upstairs.

"Come on, its not like we can get sick from in here. Besides going upstairs will do nothing for you." I was trapped.

"Well that's true Reese." I sat at the back as the guys debated which one.

"The first, we have to start at the beginning."

"I heard the ninth was amazing. Some guy held off like a hundred enemies."

"The twelfth. A guy held back the boss for half an hour there."

It was Jane who decided it. "Well, let's start with number one." I saw them slot the cube in.

Immediately I saw the clearers flood towards _The Mummified Banneret._ That thing looks sick." Immediately as the recorder moved to a better vantage point I saw myself.

I saw Eld lunge at me. Red shoved me out of the way as she parried Eld's strike. "I heard a guy went crazy during the first fight." Jack said.

The boss howled. Red and Eld separated as the dust rose. I saw myself snarl towards the edge of the screen. "Hey." I got up as Nico starts to talk.

"I know him, he's that store owner from...the seventh floor. Remember, where Sol took us." Sid was recognized immediately, I wasn't to far behind then.

I quietly sneaked up the stairs and went to a window. "H-hey, doesn't that–" I fit myself in the window frame as a hand pushed on my side. "Going somewhere." I froze.

Jane was eyeing me. I was terrified. "WAIT A MOMENT!" They realized.

"Where is he?!" Jane called over her shoulder with a smile. "I got him right here." I lunged through the window.

"Come on, easy there." She caught my foot. I couldn't just kick her off either. "You enjoying your party?"

She smiled.

"Yes, very much so." Sim and Burrs grabbed me and hauled me back in.

I was then subjected to the cruelest thing ever, questioning. "I'm innocent."

"Is this you?!" Mike asked. "It depends," I put my hands up in a placating gesture.

"Come on Tom. IS THIS YOU?" I was slightly scared.

"I thought Jane told you?" At least I wouldn't go down alone.

"What, she's gone." And like that my plan to escape being assaulted by questions had slipped away while I wasn't looking.

After several minutes of putting off the inevitable I finally answer their questions. "The cake was a lie. I swear the porcupine had nothing to do with it." Reese nods. "I see, so that's what happened when we were five."

"Hey we're off subject here. Is this you?" I groan.

"Yes, I'm the one kneeling in front of the boss at the beginning of the video." I saw Jane hanging around the kitchen, a slice of cake in her hands.

"And you knew this?" She nodded as she stuffed some cake into her mouth. "Its fun seeing him try to run." She said after swallowing.

I spent the rest of that night answering questions. I told them about my career as a clearer. About the meeting tomorrow, about Eld.

I was bored towards the end. "And let me tell you another thing. I was right in sticking the damn pig in the snout." Jack and Mike were watching intently, as if taking mental notes.

"That's how I got the ingredients to make bacon that day."

"It makes perfect sense." Jack said.

"The snout, huh. Who would have thought it." We chatted on a bit.

My evident disinterest made me drowsy. I briefly wondered what was happening in the outside world. I wondered how the bereaved are taking it. I wonder if my sister still threatens to hit me with a stick if I don't wake up. "Alright, wait! That means you know Red!" That set off a topic that was a land mine of itself.

"Err yes. I know her. We've linked several times for boss battles." The guys idolized me.

"Idiots."

"Stupid." Was the general response from the girls.

Except Jane, she watched me with cool eyes.

"Tom." I felt fear.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to listen very intently about what you have to say about Red later." I bowed my head.

I very meekly say. "Yes."

She then departed. The guys bowed their heads as well. "We'll make a small funeral pyre." Reese told me.

"Thank you." In a brief distracted moment I thought about my sister. I wonder how Kate is doing.

"Kate...Kate...KATE!"

"AH!" She sat up straight. She regarded her friend next to her.

"Oh, good night." She dozed off again.

"I swear. What do you do all night?" Kate snoozed on.

"I got this." A guy took out a bit of copper wire and battery.

"Survivalist junky."

"Yes, yes. Later." He quite calmly placed the hot wire on Kate, not enough to leave a burn though.

"Hey!" She shoved the guy back into his seat before rubbing her hand.

"Finally. We're almost there you know." Kate sighed.

Its almost been six months since the incident started. She watched her brother day and night, which explained why she was so tired. She hoped that if she constantly watched over him he wouldn't die. An old promise back from when _he_ was still alive and talking to her brother. Or rather back when he was rather ill. "Okay." She got out of the car when they got to the park.

It was a bright day. The sun shined, the children played. Though they were technically skipping school it wasn't like they lost much. Most of the class was gone, attending a seminar or something at a distant University. Her phone vibrated, she seemed to gain new life. She checked it. The live footage of her brother showed up. He was in a dungeon. A supposed strategy meeting.

She put away her phone. "Is it happening?"

"Yes Patrick." He smiled, the supposed survivalist junky reached into his bottomless backpack and took out one of several phones.

"I'll call ahead."

"I don't know how you convinced me to do this." Kate eyed her friend.

They were meeting up with several other people from school. Those who had lost someone to the game known as Dæmonica. "I don't know either." Her friend told her.

"Alice, Kate, its starting." They hurried.

There was a large pavilion at one end of the park. There was a large monitor set up, with around a dozen people watching. It was an official announcement on the situation. There had been a few since the big one at the very beginning. "...What we need is courage and Faith." The tired balding man said.

"So far, the loss has numbered in the triple digits. But there is hope. As many as a hundred players died in game but have yet been killed in real life." They were the mysterious ones.

They had been dead in game but weren't killed by the machine in real life. They were in a type of coma. Their screens showed only a mosaic of colors. Some lab coat had theorized that that was optical _data_ that was being shown. They were in a type of sensation stasis. Kept aware but in a state that they couldn't perceive time. Keeping them in a type of limbo where they were could feel that the time of their _death_ had only just happened or occurred months or years ago. While an outlandish theory it was heavily supported by the general public. Especially since no one wanted to think of the alternative, that that was what a broken mind saw. The person inside was dead and gone, leaving only the shell of a body and a ghost of the mind behind.

"But I will leave that to the more informed man on that subject. Right now all I see is this." A brief picture of a boss battle appeared.

"That's what these brave people are facing. They are fighting their way back to this world. We can do no less than to contribute every effort to making sure that they live long enough for that." The man straightened a bit.

It was said his grandson was among the captured. "I now turn you over to the man who is spearheading their rescue. Mr. G––" The monitor cackled with snow.

"Damn, the signal is fading." A man went up to a computer connected to the monitor and did somethings.

As the man worked Kate briefly wondered what her brother knew of the situation. About the man who was manipulating the death game. How much did he know. Especially since they had met once before. As if speaking of the devil the man himself appeared on the screen. The image was a bit blurry but it was unmistakable Gene Lockeless.

But what was he doing outside his wo–– "I have an announcement." What followed later shattered her notions about terrorists and hackers and his simple insanity.

It destroyed her hope of guilt and reason causing the manipulator to release the remaining players. His announcement rocked the world several times over.

Its been six months now. Half a year in this death Game. The clearing had come to a stand still at the twenty-second tier. The boss was difficult to locate and some thought there might be a prerequisite. I was going out with the guild. I had made myself a uniform just like them. The gray shirt with a white jacket finally replaced my Roc coat. The ring of light on my back sometimes left traces of light in my wake, as if I had wings of light. "Jane, its time to wake up." I shook her shoulder gently.

She was peaceful in her sleep. Her smile was a blessing every time I saw it. I tried again and instantly we were in reversed positions.

"Good morning." She whispered into my ear then she kissed my cheek.

"G-good morning." She enjoyed making me flustered.

Our position was better left unsaid, sorry to all of you who want to know. She put a finger on my lips. "Now what do you say?" She leaned in close to look into my eyes.

I was speechless as to what to say. I'm never good at these games of hers. A message ruined the moment. She got off me as I read it. When I looked again she was gone. I sigh. She was getting more and more mysterious with each passing day. I wondered what were the magic words that she always wanted me to say. I got off the guest bed and went to my living room. I had seen the door close seconds before I touched the handle. Jane liked to visit my house now. She said that the loneliness might get to me soon. I appreciated her company and made sure the guest room, or rather, her room was always ready for her. Before I left my house I touched my cheek where she had kissed.

_Yeah Thomas, I think I'm right...she likes you_. I look over at Cooper.

I smile. The best friend who I missed. He disappeared when others were around. I tentatively offered him my hand. He smiled at me. Then we shook hands. "I hope so Cooper. I hope so." With that he left me.

Back to wherever he is. Or wherever he's not.

I needed to remember to give Jane a key to my house. She'd need it if she ever wanted to go in when I'm gone. When I got to the meeting place Jane was in her leader role as Diana. "Alright the clearing group has been stuck finding that boss for to long. If it takes this long to find then its obviously something tough. So they will need better gear." She acknowledged me.

"Mr. Clearer, any ideas as to what might be in high demand?" I give her a slight smile.

"Well some strong armor for the tanks. They'll love that. Oh and we should probably find some high level swords. If we can find a few decent shields that might lead to a great deal with Bazaar." Diana smiled.

"Thank you sub-commander. Now as your leader, and in taking this into consideration," We all leaned in.

"I've decided." We laughed.

"Now for the serious bit. Sub-commander." I salute her, mostly as a joke, but also partially out of respect.

"Take Amethyst, Ike and Burrs with you to the dungeon on the twenty-second tier. I want you guys to scout ahead of us." We were all approaching clearing guild level rapidly.

So sending in a small scout team wasn't so risky. Especially if I was in it. "The rest of us will do some item harvesting. We're running low on supplies." Then she steps into the middle of us and sticks out her fist. I touch mine to hers.

Then the others placed their closed hands over ours. "To the Angels of the death game." She said in such a way that I felt something in me move. I had a fire burning in me.

"That's right. We will clear this game." We gave a brief cheer before separating.

The dungeon on the twenty-second floor was like a subterranean castle. It was the opposite of the pillar like dungeon that held the boss. Amethyst linked up with me as we headed in. "Alright slow and steady." I carefully arranged us as we stepped into the first corridor.

I could see enemies far deeper into the room. "We pick them off one by one." Amethyst and the others nodded before I approach the _Marionettes_ a wooden enemy.

They looked human, with clothes and painted faces. But their heads split up along a vertical seam like a venus flytrap. The row of metallic gears inside were lethal. I drew one away and we assaulted it from all sides. It took a mere moment to annihilate the creepy enemy. The four remaining ones we picked off over several minutes. At the door at the end of the hall we checked the loot. "Anything promising?"

They were a few items here or there that could be interesting when upgraded. I open the door and into the next room. The first three levels of the dungeon were already mapped so I decided to do a room sweep before going onto the lower levels. We wasted a good amount of time. I lead the way down the dark steps and into the second basement floor. I shivered slightly as _Poltergeists_ flew at the edges of the room. The blue-gray humanoids creeped the hell out of me. "Come on fearless leader." Ike urged.

I gave them a reassuring smile and remembered my own words. _If you live with fear on your shoulder all you'll have in the end is death._ I ready my blade as we charge through the enemies.

Ike accidentally stabbed the wall once and found a chamber. Since it didn't get mapped out it was one of the randomly generated ones. Inside I saw cave like walls and a single shining chest. I kneeled in front of it as I opened it. Lire spilled into my reserves. And a large spear was in my inventory. "Sorry about that." I tell Ike.

It should all be his. "Here though." I hand him the spear.

A Lire transaction being to difficult at the moment. "Its all right. You'll just take us out to eat." The others agree with him.

"I'm fine with that."

Back to the room sweeping we find a few more chests and fight off the ghost like enemies. I felt very odd halfway through the level. Maybe there was a high level monster around. Or maybe it was all the ghosts around. We rested for a bit after fighting off a surprise horde.

The sense of danger passed and a new one took its place. "Now that I think about it," Ike started off.

"I think that our little Romeo here should ask our fearless leader to a date." I had been eating a sandwich when the spear-user said this.

I was about to say something when the sandwich got stuck halfway. "ACK!" Burrs beat my back and the lump of bread and mysterious meat passed down to my digital stomach.

After coughing for a bit I immediately readdressed what Ike had said. "W-what was that?" I was slightly irritated that I could feel the heat in my face.

"You heard me lover-boy. The constant glances between the two of you is getting me sick to my stomach." He made a gagging gesture.

"I'm sure half the guild thinks _go get a room_, whenever you and her give each other the lovey-dovey stare." I felt my face turn beet red.

"T-that–"

Amethyst pitched in. "Oh and whenever you _discreetly _leave with her when we clear a dungeon. I could swear you two are attached at the hip with the amount of time you spend together."

"B-but, oh wait why are you all of a sudden bringing this up?" Ike and Amethyst laugh.

His hand over hers. Burrs nods. "What we're saying, oh wise sub-commander, is that you two should make it official."

I clenched and unclenched my hand. Nervous. "W-what do you mean?"

Burrs groans at this. "He just said it a minute ago. Take her out on a date. For God's sake if I have to walk behind you two while you have another _I'm so glad your here_,_ not as much as I am about having you_ moments I'm going to puke."

I twiddled my thumbs. Nothing else to do while the group lets it all out. "Geez. Go out together already. Get it out of your systems before we go into a dungeon or we all will cringe to no end." Burrs said this with such vehemence that I thought he was being hostile.

"S-sorry."

Amethyst giggles. "You see, Tom. What you have to do, for the good of the guild, is to go and take our leaders hand and walk off into the sunset together." I blinked.

"Or you could just be all––"

"No one likes that suggestion." I say to Ike, his goofy face irritated me as soon as he started making the joke comment.

We spend several moments dissecting my personal relationship with Jane. I felt worse than when I'm fighting against a boss. As I tried to explain the relationship of trust and affection I had with Jane and how I didn't want to rush it they just kept on nagging me. Finally I was about to try and just runaway from the issue when a message came from her. "Oh god, we've only been gone like an hour." I saw Burrs make a cringing face as I opened the message.

It was a voice recording. I would have made one by now but I didn't have any blank recording cubes to use up. "Hey." Her voice was like electricity.

"Now that I think about it..." She sounded so cute and innocent.

"I forgot to thank you for dinner last night." _OH SHIT!_

After I got over the initial shock I missed the damn stop button three times. Enough times for the recording to say, with her, "Thanks, I slept easy with your––"

It was around that time that I noticed the title. _PLAY WHEN ALONE._

I goofed, what can I say. "Err..." I saw a look of wonderment in Amethyst's eyes.

The two guys blinked, shocked and awed. They then wore the most peculiar expressions. I backpedaled a bit.

"I-Its not what you think." Was my best defense.

"Here we go!" I lunge into the mass of Poltergeists.

The ghosts reeled away as I scattered them from their tight knit group. Now that my small disaster was done with I learned a whole new thing about how mature they thought me.

When the initial question is asked, "How did you figure out how to do _that_ in here?" You realize they think your mature enough to be doing _that _wheneversomeone calls to thank you for dinner.

The rest of it was not my secret to give. Now then, back to the adventure. Burrs charged in and saved my ass from being slaughtered as two more hordes joined in. "There are other ways to vent your frustration." He told me afterwards.

"I wouldn't be doing this if there was." There were in fact several ways that I could have vented but killing monsters was the best.

We managed to break through the level and descend to the final mapped one. The third basement level. I shivered, my breath turned to fog in front of me. I had a bad feeling. "Stay close." I tell the others.

As we progress I feel constantly watched. And I don't like it. Later on I find a treasure chest. I let Ike take it. "Wow, this will do wonders to my stats." He showed off the new chest armor he had obtained.

I was briefly reminded of Hercules's chest, as if someone took the torso of the super strongman from a brass statue. Ike then went on to flex, as if he had the actual muscle the armor portrayed. We laughed at that. We cleared through the last mapped level and were standing in front of the stairs to go down. "Well the others can't be to far behind. Want to wait?" They were in agreement to continue on.

I assented and sent a message to Jane. She'd be mad if we went on ahead, but sending a message would keep her calm for a bit. At the bottom of the stairs I only saw ice, not stone floors. "Wow." It was like an arena.

"What do you think this place is?" Burrs asked.

I was cautious. "Keep an eye out. This might be a mini-boss area." They formed up with me and we walked slowly.

"I don't think so. Wouldn't it have already appeared?" I nod.

Its strange. Very strange. "Unless..." The feeling I had been having for a while now seemed to manifest as I said these words.

"Someone already beat it." I felt a tingle go up and down my spine.

It didn't help that I heard clapping right behind us. Turning, with dread, I faced him. The lone player, his skull helmet had been replaced by a more devilish one. The horns protruding from the triangular skull showed what lied inside that person. "Eld." He clapped and smiled straight at me. I took a step towards him and all I saw was light...

"Uh..." I sit up. I yawn as I stretch.

"About time Tom." I smile at Cooper.

"Yeah. Sorry about dozing off. I was just really tired." He nods and looks at the interface in his hands.

The neck brace like device that had a flexible part that ended in a cushion for the head and a visor of sorts gleamed since it was new. "I went in Tom." I smiled at him.

"How was it today?" He smiled like I've never seen before.

"I walked around a lot. It was free and expansive. That was just the beta for some of the higher tiers." His hands trembled a bit, maybe a few tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

"Well I'm glad that you liked it." I sat up a bit more.

"Hey Tom." I looked at him, his tone was different. "Hey Tom...if, and only if..." I smile at him.

"Don't worry Cooper, you'll be fine." He always had that one moment of doubt.

"That's right." I turned at the man.

He dressed in a business suit. "Oh, I'm sorry Tom. His name is Gene." He came up to me and we shook hands.

"As your friend said I'm Gene, Lockeless. Nice to meet you." I nod to the man.

"Your friend here is actually wanting to join my personal testing group. He wants to help me make more worlds just like that one." I blink.

Cooper had never mentioned that. But just who was this man. "Oh sorry, I forgot." He took out a business card.

"I'm also head of development for the interfaces that everyone uses. And I'm the creator of Dæmonica." Oh, so that's who he was.

"Yeah your friend Cooper there is amazing. He gives everything a certain view that I never saw but I will try to incorporate further." I smile.

That was Cooper.

"Anyway, he tells me you don't have an interface." I glared at Cooper.

"Don't worry, I'm not saying anything about that. I just wanted to let you know that you'll be getting one soon, in a few days actually." I blink.

"Yeah. You'll also get to have Dæmonica as soon as it comes out." I feel myself smile.

"I like helping people like your friend here. And he wants to help you." Cooper just nods.

"Yeah. Cooper always liked to help." I yawn.

"I'm sorry, I think I might..." I somehow fell back asleep.

I opened my eyes again an hour later. I look over at Cooper. Asleep with a smile on his face, the interface he had been using in his arms. Today was the last day of the beta. But maybe not for him. Mr. Lockeless seemed like a nice man. "Hey Cooper." He didn't stir.

I called again. "Cooper." He just kept on sleeping peacefully.

"I'm sorry Cooper." I lower my head to him. _If there is a next time_. He had told me. I guess this is what he meant.

I blink rapidly. The blinding ailment that accompanied my being knocked down had ended. What I saw wasn't good. I saw a giant beast holding Amethyst up in the air. Her scream pierced the world, as in one swift moment she was pulled apart. My eyes wide, tears streaming down them, I watch as she breaks apart.

Dead.

"NOOOO!"

I look down at my hands. The interface was shiny and new. I looked it up and down. I had already done the initial sign-up with the Dæmonica site, a prerelease privilege from Lockeless.

"I can now walk in your world Cooper." No answer.

It was _that_ time. I go over the device in my hand. The metal frame that would bend to become comfy for the person wearing it. The indicators of a wireless connection and battery life. The visor that was a very important piece for the experience. It was all brand new and ready to be used. I had done a bit of interfacing but without the game the experience just wasn't the same. In my hands I held a connection to my friend Cooper. He and I would share it for a time to come.

"Just you wait. We'll clear the one-hundred tiers, no, you called them worlds. We'll climb up and see the demon-king with our own eyes and win with our own hands."

Again, no reply.

"Yup. Just...us...best...friends..."

Burrs charged the mini-boss. "YOU BASTARD!"

His arm flies off as the giant slashed him with its claws. He collapses to his knees. I somehow find myself standing. In another moment the giant attacks using a move similar to the unarmed special _Razor_. The blade-flat hand strikes my friend and beheads him. Just one more hit. I dash through the data shards of my friend and finish off the boss.

Kate was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. "Hey."

She had been twiddling her thumbs for a while now. Glancing over at Cooper when I "_wasn't"_ looking. He had been talking endlessly about the interface he had just gotten. I was happy for him. But I was relieved when he fell asleep. "What's wrong with you?"

She blushed. "N-nothing at all." I could tell it just by looking at her.

"You like him." She turned beet red and stood abruptly.

"N-no." I smile.

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt." She restrains from smacking me.

"And what about you!" She said infuriated.

"What about me?"

"Don't you like Jane!" I was shocked. I wrung my wrists.

"You see, as your older brother I can easily tell when my younger sister likes someone. It doesn't work vice versa." She glared at me.

"Liar." Maybe so.

"Want to confess?" She looked terrified.

"Hey Co––" She stuffed my mouth with gelatin. I nearly gagged, partially from the jello, partially from my laughter with a full mouth.

Eld watched me again. He was clapping. Between him and me was a kneeling Ike. Tears came in rivulets from his eyes. "You know what my price is." I knew.

I stood over Ike. "Do it. For their safety." Ike looked up at me.

In his eyes wasn't dread, nor hatred, just sorrow. "Do it." He said to me.

I grabbed him by the front of his armor and lifted him up. I heard footsteps behind me. I closed my eyes.

"Good afternoon." I say as I walk down the halls.

She looks at me, confused. "I'm sorry, you must have gotten me confused with someone else."

I shrug. "I don't think so. Your the only one here right." I walk past her.

"Look I'm not sure you understand. You don't just talk to me." I shrug again.

"I don't really care Ms. QueenBee." She suddenly looks hard at me.

"What's wrong with you––" "I get it I get it. There are a lot of things wrong with me. But talking to you isn't. Geez I try to be nice and all I get is hassle from some cheerleader."

She takes a step towards me. "I'm not just some _anyone_!" She glared at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I say very flatly before continuing on.

"Just who do you think you are?"

"I think I'm Thomas. I've been in the same class as you since Kindergarten and ever since you joined the cheerleading squad you've become a real jerk Jane." She gawked at me.

"You...YOU!..." I don't bother to wait for her to blow a gasket.

"If you ever realize that the people you call _friends_ are going to use you lets talk again." I say as I round the corner.

"I'm not done talking to you!"

"But I am." I continue to walk away from her. Usually most people like her wouldn't even have acknowledged me.

But she was fun to torment. I reach into my jacket pocket. My hand shaky. "HEY!" She suddenly grabs my shoulder.

I'm startled and I drop the medicine bottle. Its contents are scattered across the floor. I turn on her. "And who do you think you are?" I was the same height as her, but I looked down at her all the same.

She was startled. "I...I'm––" I walk away from her.

"Your nobody. Thats what. Your nothing but another popular beauty-queen. There must be at least thirty of them just like you in our hallway. All of them Queen B's, you know." I saw her gawk again.

"How dare––" It looked like I was going to get slap.

Did she think I'd cringe. I took it. The angry red mark on my cheek stung. "You done yet? I have to go." I yawn and turn away.

I just left her there, staring at the space where I had nonchalantly stood after being slapped.

I watched Ike shatter, the Poltergeist I threw him to did rapid work. I turn to face the guild. Jane looks at me, much like she did that day.

"I–I don't understand..." She had said those words as well that day.

I cover my face with my hands and sob lightly. But when I take them away I'm smiling. I cover my mouth with one hand as I let a laugh escape me.

I approach the swings. Dirt covered the uniform she wore. "Geez your a mess." I say blatantly.

The sobbing Jane just looks at me with red eyes. "G–(hic)Go away!" She puts her face in her hands as she cries.

I drop my backpack. I reach into one of the pockets. "Here." I let her grab the unused handkerchief.

I was one of the few people who carry those in these days. "I–I don't understand..." She said as I walked away.

"You wouldn't. Did you finally realize how hollow those _friends_ are?" I grab my backpack. She was quiet.

"Oh well." I start to walk away. "W-wait!" I look back at her.

She's just like a little girl right now. Without the authority or popularity she had in school, or from cheerleading, she was just alone, scared, and needed comfort. I sit on a bench as she calms down.

"Y-you were right." She said after a while. I nod.

"What happened?" She then explained it to me.

"In the end, he dumped you for the head cheerleader, your best friend." I suppressed a chuckle.

"I–Is that funny to you?" I must have failed.

She managed to look angry and indignant even though she was still crying.

"Honestly? Not really. The thing that gets me is that you took it to heart. That your letting it tear you apart." She looks at me, in such a lost way.

"Those are not friends. They are people you know and hangout with because people expect you to. Face it, the only reason you were with that guy was because it was expected of you."

She blinked. "Those are not real friends. They are just people you use and that use you back. So I'm chuckling because you still feel hurt about it." I can see no one ever talked to her like this.

"If you ever want to see what a real friend is, come here tomorrow after school and you'll see what I mean." I stand then.

"I feel sorry, I really do. But my pity is the only thing I'd give to someone like you. Be a better person and then you'll see why." I left her there, maybe crying. Maybe just shocked.

I laugh so much. "Oh god! I never expected it to end up like this!" I straighten and look at Jane.

"Its exactly what it looks like. I killed them." I cover my mouth as another laugh threatens to erupt from me.

"HAHAHAHAHAH!" I can't help it.

I have to act the part. "No..." The lost look on her is so nostalgic.

"What did you expect. Losers like you are only worth one thing. As stepping stones. You should know, weren't you the same." With that its like a spell is broken.

"THOMAS!" She yells at me, trying to see if she can snap me out of whatever happened.

I want to call back to her. To tell her several things.

Instead. "DON'T USE THAT NAME!" She steps back.

Afraid. I compose myself. **"I am Sol. I am the Angel of death and massacre in this land of swords. As the sun sets I will deliver your souls onto the greatest paradise. Death."**

She arrived, unexpected. "Well I'm here."

She said, she didn't look at all like the crying girl from yesterday. "Walk with me." I head towards a distant pavilion.

She follows behind, slightly dragging her feet. When we get there all I see is a homeless man on a bench. "Mr.J." He stirs.

From deep beneath the coat I see a dirty old face. He smiles at me. "Oh, its you Tommy." I sit down next to him.

Not afraid or repulsed. "I'm sorry its been a while, I was just taking care of some personal problems." He nods. "Its all right. How are your parents." I smile.

"They are just as fine as ever. Want to see if you can come over for Thanksgiving?" He shakes his head.

"Oh I can't go and impose on you like that now." I spend nearly an hour talking to the man.

When I leave him to his slumber I see Jane, confused as ever. "That's a real friend right there." I tell her. A little angry at her.

"I don't get it."

"What a surprise." I say, a bit of spite in my voice.

"At least you recognize him right?" She shook her head.

"I don't know no drug addicts." I hold back the urge to slap her.

Whatever they drilled into her about the homeless was straight bullshit. "He's not a druggie. He was your neighbor until three years ago." I saw her make a perfect O with her mouth.

"Mr. Johannes. Remember him. He was the one who gave you the puppy that is your dog." I saw her shrink away from me.

"That man is the best kind of person. Never asked anything. Offers you what he has. That's why he's out here instead of the home he's been living in since he was nine." I walk back towards the swings.

"That man..." She started.

"He...He's that man?" I nod.

"Remember him now?" She nods.

"Now then here's a thing I have to tell. Do you think that if he went door to door, especially to your door, with a tin cup and begged, he would have enough money to live comfortable for a month?" She hesitated, as if sensing that this was a trick question.

"Yes." She finally said.

"But he doesn't. Do you know why?" She sat down on the swing next to mine.

"No."

"He said that if he were to borrow from all his neighbors, and all his friends, he'd be a sad man. He told me that if he got enough to buy back his old home all he would do is give it to charities. To the other homeless. He doesn't want to save himself unless he can save everyone he sees." I saw that she just stared hard at the ground.

"Here's another thing." I stand, my anger at the girl upset over a middle schooler issues when a man is starving less than a block away.

"He's very sick. Its unlikely he'll see Thanksgiving, let alone a Christmas. And here you are, all sad because the stereotypical jock dumped you for someone more popular." I head home.

I had a lot left to show her but her forgetting that man got me so riled up that I couldn't help it. I probably made her feel worse. I made the whole situation worse.

She was stunned. "No...No..."

"Believe it. I killed our friends. But I have to say my skills probably got pretty close to leveling up. They were of good use." I nod.

"Yes, they were very useful. As they should be. Stepping stones for the people that really matter. For me." Tears trickle down her eyes.

She might, after some time, realize the hidden meaning in my words. It hurts me. But so what. Its just me who has to bear all the sorrow. They'll have fractions while I carry the whole thing.

Eld claps. "Marvelous. Marvelous! That was a great induction." He throws me a flag.

I grab and unfold it. The emblem is a red mouth, the teeth sharp fangs. An eye at the center of it, all on a black flag. "I'd like you to see, the greatest work from the Scarlet Abyss." Eld says as he hands me a teleport crystal.

He leaves, taking his flags with him. "Take care. Maybe we can have a reenactment later. What do you say, _Alliance of White Wings_. Can I clip your angel wings?" With that I leave.

I realized that it wasn't over when my sister told me that there was someone here to see me. She knew all my friends so for someone to unnamed. It had to be her. I shake my head as I receive my guest.

"Your all wet now." She had walked through the rain to come here.

She was quiet, deathly quiet. She offered me my handkerchief back. "Thank you."

There was a brief pause where neither of us knew what to do. "I'll walk you home." She nods.

Barely acknowledging me. I grab an umbrella and we leave. The rain is pounding outside. "I thought about what you said to me." We stop.

"I remember the day Mr. J came over with my dog." She kept her head low as she talked.

"I thought about it, and thought about it. I really did. And, I realized just how self-absorbed I've been." We start walking again.

"Can you...can you possible show me how to be a better person?" I was dumbstruck.

I was just going to show her the difference between real friends and her _friends_. But this was a curve ball. "I'm probably not much better than you are. But I'll try."

After a brief pause. "I'm sorry for slapping you, and treating you like you weren't worth considering." She tells me.

"Don't worry about it. I did a few wrong things to you as well, but that's life." Her mother answers the door. She recognizes me right away.

_To Jane from that raining day I was honest. I did my best and as soon as Christmas break came she was a completely different person, and better for it. The Jane I knew in the game took shape over the summer of that seventh grade year. I had no idea the profound effect I had on her. But to the Jane from just a few moments ago I left hidden messages and lost friends. May we never meet again. But that's when I think, __**it'd be to easy that way.**_


End file.
